Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's: War of the Dragons
by JCHudson
Summary: 8 years after Team 5D's disbanded, the band gets back together, and just in time for New Domino's 10th Anniversary of the Fortune Cup. However, lurking behind within the shadows is an old foe, thought to have been beaten years ago. But this time, he isn't alone, teaming up with an ancient evil long thought dead. It'll take everything the team has if they hope to survive.
1. Together Again

**Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's: War of the Dragons**

**Chapter 1: Together Again**

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A/N: Hey guys. Long time, no see. I'm back with a new fic, and I do sincerely apologize for the long break. Long story short, college is a pain. Especially the transition between Spring and Summer Semester. I've also had a writer's block during that time too, so that didn't help. But! That's all in the past, hopefully. Anyway, this was requested by **Jade546** and I've also been toying around with a post 5D's fic myself, but never got around to do anything about it, until now that is. So, without further adieu, let's go!

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Standing in a crowd of tens, dozens, maybe even hundreds of people was a young man, of above average height, black hair spiked up in every direction, with gold streaks at the ends. His cobalt-blue eyes staring off at the exit/entrance for the new arrivals of people coming to New Domino. _"Coming back"_ his intelligent mind corrected him. As he stood in his work clothes; a light blue-green, buttoned down shirt, sleeves rolled up to his elbows, partially tucked into his khaki pants, fastened by a black belt, with worn work boots and his white lab coat slung over his shoulder, his mind replayed the last moments of when he was gathered around his friends. Friends that left nearly 9 years ago to chase their dreams, and achieve their goals...

* * *

He remembered it clearly, almost as if it had just happened yesterday. After a gruelling duel with his number one rival and older foster brother, Jack Atlas, to determine what he and each of his friends wanted to do with their lives, now that they had fulfilled their destinies as Signers, and the city was safe; they had all come to their own conclusions. Jack was leaving to become a part of duelling league, allowing himself to become a pro duelist; a childhood dream of his that he sought to make a reality. Crow Hogan, his younger foster brother, and closest friend, had been a member of Sector Security for the past two years, but he too had dreams of becoming a pro duelist. However, unlike his older brother, Crow was leaving to join a team of duelists. The WRGP's team dynamic intriguing the Blackwing Duelist, having left its mark on the young man.

The twins, Leo and Luna, had received news from their parents in London, that they would want their children to leave the city and come over to live with them, but gave them time to make their decision. After much deliberation, the twins decided to adhere to their parents' request, and live with them. It was difficult, given everything the two young ones had been through with their friends from Duel Academy and the other Signers. And though they cherished those moments deeply, they also wanted to be a family again with their parents, and knew that though they may be half a world apart, the twins will never forget the bonds that they made in New Domino.

Then there was _her_. Akiza Izinski. The former Black Rose Witch, and the one person that stole Yusei Fudo's heart. As he pondered his feelings for the redhead, he chuckled to himself. When the two first met, it wasn't until two years later that the two of them had learned that they were frightened of the other. At first, Akiza wanted nothing to do with Yusei. She like everyone else in the city thought of him as trash, and that the marker on his face was an ugly reminder that he was a criminal. But after their duel at the Fortune Cup and their second duel at the hospital; Akiza's perspective of Yusei turned a 180 degree turn. And it wasn't long until her feelings for the raven haired Signer shifted from disgust to appreciation, then friendship, and finally, love.

Which was the very reason why she had shown up at his garage that fateful night. To express her feelings to the young man before she too would leave. Leave to pursue a career in medicine to help people, as a way to repay and redeem herself after all the pain she inflicted upon others when she was the Black Rose. She had practiced all that morning and afternoon, talking to herself in front of mirror, conveying all of her closed off feelings to her not-so-secret crush. But as she stood before him, she couldn't find the courage, nor the words to express her feelings. Instead, she had said, _"I loved that I got to meet you, Yusei"._

Hoping beyond hope to get her point across without actually telling him, she nearly burst into tears of joy when he responded, _"Me too, Akiza"_. Remembering what had happened next brought a smile to Yusei's face. Remembering how he told her to never forget to smile, and that she had the most beautiful smile in the world. He could tell that she was flying over the moon with his confession. And then the two sealed it with a kiss in the moonlight…

Unfortunately, the two had to seperate, and not long afterwards, she left. The next day, Yusei saw all of his friends off as they left New Domino, each of them making promises and goodbyes, as they all shared a high five with him; all but one. Akiza never made a promise, nor a goodbye; promising internally to herself that she would one day return to the city; return to Yusei. And he understood completely. It was the hardest thing he had ever had to do; letting her go, letting them all go. But in the back of his mind, and in the deepest part of his heart, he knew that it was for the best. If they had stayed, none of them would be truly happy, and for that Yusei couldn't have asked them to. Due to their work schedules, studies, and other activities, Yusei was unable to visit his friends, but that didn't stop him from keeping in touch with them all during the years. Whether it was by computer, by the phone, or even an old fashioned mail drop; Yusei always managed to keep in contact with his friends.

* * *

Yusei was brought from his thoughts when he heard his name being called from the sea of people at the waiting area of New Domino Airport. Peering over the crowd, Yusei managed to get a glimpse of two people with teal-green hair and gold eyes. A young woman, no older than 21, wearing a pink blouse, sandals and white "short" shorts, holding a white handbag in one hand, was waving excitedly at Yusei with the other, with a bright smile present on her face. Trailing alongside her, was a young man about the same age and height as the woman next to him, wearing a teal blue undershirt, with a dark blue jacket, dark gray pants, and black boots was pushing through the sea of people, yelling out apologies as he unintentionally knocked bystanders away, all the while with a grin almost as big as the girl's next to him as they approached Yusei.

Smiling at the two people before him, Yusei greeted them both with open arms, "Luna! Leo!"

After finally fighting through the crowd of people, the twins finally reached their destination, chorusing aloud, "Yusei!"

Embracing Yusei, the twins shared hugs with their older "big brother", Leo adding in a fist bump, out of habit. When the twins let Yusei go, he was able to get a clearer look at the twins. Both of them had grown a lot over the years. No longer were they the same little tykes that Yusei once knew. Both of them had grown to be near Crow's height. Luna in particular had grown into a gorgeous, beautiful, young woman. She had forgone the pigtails and instead had let her hair grow out. Leo on the other hand, kept his hair in its trademark ponytail, but he too had let his hair grow out, evident by the wild way his hair flared out at the end of his ponytail. He had also grown into a strong, confident, young man, but beneath it all, he was still the same kid that Yusei remembered; just now instead of being a child, he was now a man-child.

Looking around, Luna quickly realised that Yusei was the only one here. Noticing the confusion on her face, Yusei interjected, gaining her attention. "Akiza's parents are on the way, Hideo got caught up in a meeting at the last minute. Trudge and Mina are still working with Carly on a News story that's gotten Lazar's attention, and Martha would be here, but she's taking care of the kids back in Satellite. So, I guess that means you two are stuck with little, old me until the others get here."

As he finished, Luna giggled as Leo laughed when they heard their "big brother" refer to himself as "little" and "old". Getting their giggling fits down for now, Luna spoke as Leo wiped away a tear from his eye. "Yusei, you're a great many things, but "little" and "old"? Far from it." Once Leo finally calmed down, he added, "Yeah, man. Little? I mean, you're not "Jack" tall, but - hey, wait did you get taller?" Looking between the two twins, Yusei responded with a chuckle, "Heh. I had a last minute growth spurt a number of years ago."

As the trio waited for the other members of Team 5D's to arrive, as well as the rest of their friends and family that stayed in New Domino, they got to talking about how much their lives have changed. Yusei listened as Luna had studied to be a teacher, whereas Leo had looked to become a pro duelist, much like his childhood hero and one of his friends, Jack Atlas. Yusei of course knew all of this, but what he hadn't known was that Luna was accepted as a teaching assistant at her and Leo's old school, New Domino Duel Academy, and that Leo had accomplished one of his goals and had "graduated" from amateur to pro just a short time ago.

"Wow. That's great news, you two! I have the up most faith that you'll be an excellent teacher, Luna. And you, Leo, I have no doubt that you'll make a great rival for Jack and Crow, now that you're officially a pro."

Luna blushed, whereas Leo was grinning ear to ear from Yusei's praise. However, the conversation was quickly shifted to Yusei's side when Luna asked, "And what about you, Yusei? You mentioned something in your emails about your work, and your duelling career, but you were kind of vague. Could you tell us what you were alluding too?" Having regained his composure, Leo was also looking at Yusei curiously waiting for his reply.

Smiling a little, Yusei unfortunately told the twins, "Sorry, guys, but I want to wait until everyone gets here before I start talking about my duelling. As for my work, nothing special really. Fortune was completed some time ago, and ever since then, me and my team have been working on experimental projects. Things to make New Domino, and by extension, Satellite an easier place to live. Finding new ways to use free energy to power the city and its infrastructure, building and improving upon duel runner engines; things of that nature. Nothing too exciting, I'm afraid."

Before either of the twins could make a retort, a voice coming from behind the trio caught them by surprise, "Working on a way to improve the living conditions of not just the city, but the Satellite as well? I'd hardly call that anything, but not exciting." Turning away from the twins, Yusei was met with the retired Senator Hideo Izinski and his wife, Setsuko. Upon seeing the twins, Setsuko hugged Luna, as Leo shook Hideo's hand. "Hideo. Setsuko. It's good you guys were able to make it before the others arrived." As Yusei shared a quick handshake from the older man, and a swift hug from the older woman, all parties present were able to recognize the booming, demanding voice coming from the entrance of the Airport walkway, just as they were also able to recognize the another voice coming from the same direction, arguing with the former.

As the two continued to bicker neither noticed until it they heard a voice out in front of them, yell their names to get their attention. "Jack! Crow!" The two brothers stopped their squabbling as they looked ahead of them, and saw their other brother, along with the twins, and Akiza's parents waiting for them. Quickly, all thoughts of arguing with one another left the brothers' minds as they swiftly made their way over to Yusei and the others. As soon as they approached Yusei, the three of them shared a "bro-hug" and their signature greeting from back when they were a part of the Enforcers. A time that seems so long ago.

When the three separated, Crow and Jack also greeted Leo with a fist bump, and friendly hug to Luna before sharing quick handshakes with the Izinskis. After all the greetings were done and gone, the two brothers were able to get a good look at everyone. Hideo and Setsuko looked the same as they did eight years ago, with a few gray hairs here and there. Yusei had changed somewhat. The first thing they had noticed, besides the five-o'clock shadow he was sporting, was just like the twins had noticed, he seemed to have grown a bit taller since they had last seen him. Which seemed to have irked the younger and shorter of the three brothers.

But the biggest change were the twins. Although both Crow and Jack had occasionally seen Leo on TV about winning some amateur tournaments, they hadn't seen how the years have changed his sister, and like Yusei before them, had realized just how much both she and Leo have grown. While the two brothers were coming to terms with how much the kids have grown, Yusei and the others were also able to get a good look at how the years have changed Jack and Crow. Physically, they were pretty much the same, the only outward change in appearance was Crow's new earrings. But emotionally? The pair seemed to be more confident than before.

Jack was less headstrong, and a bit more calm. But he still had that air of arrogance about him, just tempered and focused towards his duelling instead towards those around him. Crow on the other hand, wasn't as rowdy as he was before, but just like Leo, he hadn't let that change much of himself outside of a duel.

Just as everyone was getting reacquainted, the intercom at the airport announced the final arrival from Berlin, Germany. This caught the immediate attention of the team, especially Yusei, as everyone there shared a knowing look between one another, regarding the raven-haired scientist and the redheaded doctor. As the team waited, Yusei saw a glimpse of red hair before his feet moved towards the crowd of people, almost as if they were acting on their own. The others watched anxiously awaiting the next turn of events.

Then, everything stopped. Yusei stopped moving, halting his steps, as he took her in. She was stunning. He didn't think it was at all possible for her to have become even more beautiful, but for once, he was proven wrong. She had let her hair grow out, her bangs now elbow length, and the rest of her hair put up into a bun. Her skin was the same shade of milky white, her eyes the same amber brown. It looked like she had also grown a bit too. She appeared to have been wearing her work uniform too. She was wearing a similar white coat around her shoulders. Beneath, she was wearing a red buttoned down shirt, that was tucked into a black, knee length skirt, with the top two buttons undone, showing just a hint of her cleavage. She was also wearing stockings that seemed to have been attached to her skirt, and to top it all off she had her red high heel pumps.

As his eyes travelled back to her face, he froze, and held his breath. She had caught sight of him. At first, neither of them moved. Akiza caught a glimpse of the others behind Yusei, but for the moment, she was transfixed by the former raven-haired Signer in front of her. Taking him all in; above average height, five-o'clock shadow, white lab coat hanging on his broad shoulder, wild, untamed, thick hair, form fitting buttoned down shirt that seem to emphasize his lean muscular definition hidden beneath, and those eyes. Those big, blue sapphire gems staring into her. She could feel the heat of her blush, but unlike before when she was younger, she wasn't afraid of showing it.

Visibly gulping, she blinked a few times, before uttering a single word. "Yusei…"

That seemed to have snapped the both of them from their shared mutual trance. Taking a deep breath and exhaling, Yusei strode over to her in a couple of strides, just as she was quickly approaching him. As they finally neared the other, Akiza nearly choked the life out Yusei wrapping him in her petite arms in a warm, loving embrace, just as Yusei returned the same; wrapping his strong arms around her waist and bringing her closer.

As she laid her head against his strong shoulder, she whispered, only loud enough for Yusei to hear, "I've missed you. Tightening his arms around her, Yusei replied with the same words he had spoken all those years ago. "Me too, Akiza." After another or two, a gruff cough from behind, alerted them to present company. Reluctantly, the two star crossed, soul bound lovers separated and turned to see the others' reactions. Leo, the eternal man child of the group, made fake gagging noises as Luna facepalmed, embarrassed by her twin's childish antics, before taking her other hand and smacking him behind the noggin. Crow had his hands in his pockets grinning from ear to ear, while Jack had his arms crossed above his chest, smirking at the two.

Akiza's parents however, were pretending to be hurt, mocking faces of pain and betrayal, before her mother broke first, and smiled sweetly at the two, while her husband soon followed, with a small smile present; happy for his daughter. Sheepishly, Yusei rubbed the back of his head, peering down at Akiza, as she looked back up to him with a faint blush and small smile of her own. In that moment, Yusei wanted nothing more than to pick her up, spin her around, and kiss her as if his life depended on it, but he refrained from doing so, mentally saying, _"Calm down, Yusei. Eight years have passed between us, and before we can entertain the thought of 'us', we have a lot of catching up to do"_. Looking back into Akiza's brown orbs, he saw the same internal conversation floating around in her head. With a knowing look shared between them, the two of them opted to put a hold on whatever "this" is, and just enjoy what they do know for certain; Team 5D's is back together again.

* * *

_Somewhere in Peru_

One month ago, a excavation team of a number of people had heard of some sort treasure buried deep beneath the earth in a long, forgotten, once thought lost Quecha Temple. Two weeks ago, the team broke ground, and were finally able to uncover the entrance to said temple. As the team worked to create passages by removing debris around, the darkened caverns of the abandoned underground temple were alight with a faint glow. As a piece of the excavation team broke apart from the main group to explore this once hidden cavern, a thought plagued the minds of the team, as they delved deeper into the bowels of the forgotten temple: what if the passage was blocked for a reason, and not because of old age and debris?

The team delved further deeper down, walking for hours before finally they stopped at a dead end. Or what appeared to be a dead end. Lighting the torches in the room, allowed the handful of researchers to see more clearly. What they had discovered seem to be some kind of place of worship and/or sacrifice. A broken slab of stone was laid in the center of a circle, with drawings of various creatures, what looked to be like dragons spread across the room. At the far end of the room, was a large stone carving of a giant dragon, much larger than the others spread throughout the room.

A cold chill in the air flowed through the room as the team of researchers began inspecting the large stone carving at the back end of the room. That was their one and only warning….

Thinking that the large stone carving is another hidden passage to whatever they were looking for, they didn't realize until too late that this wasn't a temple; it was a tomb...

* * *

A/N: And one down! I don't know how long this story will be, but compared to _**Death Race 5D's**_, this will be a real challenge. Unlike my other stories where there was really one or two plots in the story, this one will have multiple. This will be my first, real ambitious task, and hopefully I don't muck it up.

One of them, as you guys could probably tell is Yusei's relationship with Akiza. Unlike in _**Lover's Bond**_, this will have them NOT spending their last night together in each other's arms before they went their separate ways. They still harbor the same feelings, and still love each other, but eight years have passed between them, and outside of talking and seeing each other through a computer screen they haven't actually ever had the chance to discuss what the nature of their relationship is now.

Basically, in short, what I'm trying to say, is eight years is a long time for people to change and for certain feelings to change as well. This is still a YuseixAkiza fic, so don't worry about that, but this time, I'm trying for a sense of realism. Which I'll get into in future chapters. It's easier to explain it while in the chapter than saying it here.

Another plot point is that little easter egg I planted in beginning/middle regarding Sector Security, Carly and Lazar. Then the third point, is the little nugget at the end, and also the title. Can you guess what it is?

As far as updates go… with school fast approaching and the limited number of weeks during the Summer semester, I'll probably still be working on this well into Fall Semester, and depending on if I get an internship, then that will also affect how often I'll be able to update. Then there's the lack of Wi-Fi. Ugh, sometimes when life throws you lemons (NOT the smutty/sexy kind) it squirts in your face (again GET YOUR MIND OUT OF THE GUTTER!) XD

So, until next time, tell me what you guys are thinking, I like to get some feedback from my readers, and peace!


	2. The More Things Change

**Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's: War of the Dragons**

**Chapter 2: The More Things Change…**

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A/N: Hey guys. So this chapter starts off immediately after the last one. There will be more moments of the team coming back together, and more on the repercussions of what happened at the end of the last chapter, and aftermath that follows.

* * *

After all of the members of Team 5D's had arrived, they all were just about to leave, when people in the crowd had just now noticed that New Domino's top duelists were all in one place. Immediately, everyone, including Setsuko and Hideo, were suddenly hounded by adoring fans, paparazzi, and the occasional fanatic. Quickly, everyone separated into smaller groups, and planned to meet at the twins' old apartment building for a proper welcome home return reunion. The twins, went in one direction, Akiza's parents went another, and Jack and Crow towards a different path. Which of course left…

"Yusei Fudo! Akiza Izinski!"

The said former signers were currently at their wits end. The two adults hadn't had a break since Akiza got off the plane. When they would find a place that seemed safe enough for the two to calm down, they were always found and not five minutes later, would be surrounded; forcing the two to start running again. Akiza had a half a mind to scare them away using her powers, but she knew that the turnabout wouldn't have been pretty, so she relented, even if Yusei was willing to entertain the idea.

An hour and half later, running around the entire airport seemed to have tuckered out the fans and press, and eventually, they gave up their chase, leaving the two former signers in peace, for now. Catching his breath, Yusei managed to calm his racing heart, and let out the breath he was holding in as a chuckle. When Akiza could only quirk a brow - still too tired trying to catch her breath, Yusei said, "Just like old times, huh?"

Huffing a laugh herself, after managing to calm down, Akiza grinned, and replied, "You know the saying Yusei, "The more things change, the more they stay the same." Grinning back, his only response was, "Right."

Looking into his deep blue, cerulean sapphire orbs brought back the last time they were together, before today. She could feel her heart racing, and her blood pumping all over again, but it wasn't adrenaline that was coursing through her veins. She felt her legs and knees grow weak, just as they did all those years ago. As she drew closer, she could feel his breath on her increasingly hot skin. However, before she could venture further down the rabbit hole, Yusei calling her name, broke her out from her trance.

"Huh?"

Chuckling once again, Yusei said, "I've been calling your name for the past minute now. I was asking if you're alright. You're a bit flushed." Akiza's blush only grew more intense, having realised she was daydreaming, in front of the man she was dreaming about no less. Flushing all over again, she managed to stutter, "I-I'm f-fine, Yusei. Really. It's just a little hot here is all." _"That isn't the only thing that's getting hotter at the moment." _Reminded Akiza's thoughts.

Mentally shaking those thoughts away, the logical part of her mind retaliated, _"Stop it, Akiza. You only just got back; there will be time for that later. I need some time for myself before I start entertaining thoughts of 'me and him'._

As Akiza was shifting through her thoughts, Yusei was contemplating his own. He knew th real reason why she was flushed and all hot and bothered. Frankly, if he was honest with himself, he was the same. Had been since they were face to face again. He recognized the look she was giving him a moment ago. It was the same as it was eight years ago. Yusei wanted nothing more than to pull her close, and capture her rose, pink, full lips with his own. But Yusei was better than that, and knew it wasn't the right time, nor the right place for them to start back from where they left off.

"_Calm down, Yusei. It's been a long time since we've seen each other, and she only just now got back. This isn't the time, nor the place for any of that. She needs time to get reacquainted and to readjust. I want to do this right. Eight years is a long time be a part. We've both grown, and changed over that amount of time, and a lot has happened since. There's a time and place for everything, but now isn't that time, or place." _

Just like with Akiza, Yusei was broken out of his thoughts, when Akiza nudged him in the arm, asking him, "You, okay, yourself Yusei? You look like you were deep in thought?" Blushing slightly at having been caught in the same manner as she had before, Yusei replied, a bit flustered, "Guilty." Akiza's mind cooed, _"Aww" _when she saw Yusei's flustered face after getting caught. _"Even after all the years, he's still so cute when he gets all flushed and flustered. At least some things haven't changed."_

Grabbing her hand, holding it with his own, the two left their little hideaway, with Yusei, saying, "Come on. The coast should be cleared by now. And the others are probably getting a little antsy having to wait on us." Entwining her fingers with his own, she squeezed his hand for a moment, before replying, "Okay, Yusei. Let's go." Mentally, however, she was just happy that they could at least walk hand in hand. _"It still too early for anything else, but this? This is a start."_

* * *

"Where the hell have you two been?!"

As soon as the two former signers entered the twins' former home, they were immediately questioned by the more hyperactive of the twins. Raising his hands in calm manner, Yusei explained, "Relax, Leo. We're here now. It just took us a longer time to lose all the fans and paparazzi. Long story short, we had to the wait them out." Leering his gold eyes at the for a moment, Leo finally crossed his arms over his chest, and gave them a nod, then replied, "Ok, then."

After Leo left to rejoin the party, Luna came over, and asked them, "Are you sure you guys are okay?" Smiling at the more level headed of the twins, Akiza replied, "Don't worry, Luna. We're fine, nothing happened." Satisfied with her answer, Luna grabbed Akiza's arm and pulled her away from Yusei, rambling on about how the girls were all worried that something may have happened, and mentioning something about what the boys were thinking. Akiza had very little time to react before she was whisked away. Turning her head back towards Yusei's direction, she gave him an apologetic look. Breaking into a grin, Yusei silently worded, "_Go!"_; shooing her away. Akiza smiled at Yusei's antics, and before she was out of earshot, she silently asked, "_Later_?"; to which he replied with a light nod.

As he watched Luna pull Akiza towards where all the women were, he took notice that it wasn't just Team 5D's that was there, but all of their friends and family too. Trudge, Carly and Mina seemed to have been released from whatever meeting they were hold up in. Trudge, despite his age, looked almost like he had eight years ago. The only physical difference was the growing beard, and grey hairs. But besides that he looked just like the burly, police officer everyone had grown to know as a friend. Another thing that was different, was the arm that was wrapped around Mina's waist; her head lying on his shoulder, and hand on his chest.

After the team disbanded, Mina was promoted to Head of Security, and Trudge was promoted to Chief. Working so close together allowed the two of them to spend more time with each other, and with Mina's attention away from Jack, and her obsession over him done and gone; it allowed to Trudge to finally ask her out on a date. 7 years and 6 months later, the two were happily married. Over the years, Mina had let her hair grow out, letting it fall to her upper back. Catching Yusei's gaze, Trudge quickly nodded to in his direction, which Yusei replied with one of his own.

Looking over to the right, he saw Carly, dressed in a formal attire, of a grey, buttoned down, long sleeve shirt, with a matching grey skirt, and white undershirt beneath, with black stockings, and a matching pair of black high heeled pumps. She no longer wore those awful trifocal glasses that obscured her big, beautiful eyes. Instead, she had opted for contacts, after acquiring her new job, with New Domino News. After everything between the Dark Signers, Arcadia, Yliaster, and Ark Cradle, along with the questions that she had asked Yusei, and the team, Carly was finally able to leave her horrible job working for that small business, and pursued her lifelong dream of finding a career becoming a world renowned news caster, and reporter. After being shut down by Jack before he left, she focused all of her time and energy towards her goal.

At first, it was, admittedly, difficult, but after awhile she was able to forgive Jack, for his outburst, and understood his reasons. Looking at her now, no one would expect her to have been such the shy young woman that was head over heels in love with Jack Atlas. Speaking of which, Yusei caught a glimpse of the two, looking at each other, for a moment, before returning their attention elsewhere. _"Seems like there is still something between them. Don't let her go, Jack."_; thought Yusei has he watched the two bounce around the other.

Off towards the back, Yusei was able to see his old friends from Satellite speaking with friends that he made while in the Facility. Just like with Trudge, most of his friends didn't appear to be all that different from before; only growing more mature, and maybe a few grey hairs here and there. The biggest differences were Rally and Yanagi. Rally no longer looked like a girl dressed in a long gown. He had finally matured into a fine young man. Yanagi, on the other hand, looked older than dirt. His grey hair having turned stark white, and was now holding onto a cane.

Looking around again, Yusei found his foster mother, Martha conversing with Akiza's parents, speaking in hushed tones; no doubt probably telling them stories of when Yusei was younger. Shaking his head, he knew she would never let him live those embarrassing stories down. He watched as Hideo laughed while, Setsuko whispered something into Martha's ear. Probably regaling tales of when Akiza was just a girl, before her powers were revealed. It seemed like everyone was trying to set the two former signers up, now that Akiza was back. While he appreciated the effort, a part of him wished that they would let the two of them figure out everything on their own; he knew that their friends and family meant well, but it was more than a little annoying, and irritating at times.

Taking his mind away from the thought at the moment, he caught a glimpse of Crow hitting on, and failing to get the numbers of a couple of Akiza's friends from Duel Academy; Mei and Sakura. Smiling at his younger brother, Yusei knew that Crow would always be a free bird; he just didn't seem the type to settle down. Leo was currently speaking to friends of his during his time at the academy as well; specifically, Bob and Dexter, both of whom have grown into their own. Across the room, Luna, likewise was doing the same with Akiza, Patty, and to his surprise, Sherry and Misty.

Out of all the people to have shown up, he didn't expect the french blonde to be here. After the team disbanded, Yusei spent nearly all of his time either working on the Fortune Mainframe, or doing handy work around the city. And anytime, he had time for himself, he spent either studying, or upgrading his duel runner. During that time, the stress of everything going on around him, finally got to Yusei, and he couldn't take it anymore. One day, he met Sherry at some conference he was speaking at, and after catching up a bit, one thing led to another, and the next morning he found himself waking up next to her, naked in a hotel room.

For awhile, things were like that between them. They both were stressing out over their lives, and needed something to take the edge off. And for a time, "this thing" between them worked. It wasn't romantic, and neither of them were in love with the other; it was just sex. No strings attached sex. But shortly after it started, Yusei called it off. He felt sick, like he was betraying Akiza's trust. Logically, he knew that he and Akiza weren't a couple at the time, but the emotional half of his brain wouldn't let the guilt go, and frankly, Yusei knew he had made a mistake. Understanding, from where Yusei was coming from, Sherry too, agreed, and the two ended whatever was between them, and remained friends afterwards.

But catching a glimpse of her now, speaking with Akiza, had Yusei feeling sick and disgusted with himself all over again. As far as Yusei was aware, that "thing" with Sherry was just between the two of them, and though he hated lying to others, and keeping secrets from people, Yusei wanted to keep that away from the woman he loved. It would destroy him, if she ever came to have found out what happened between himself and Sherry, and have Akiza hate him and loathe him for the rest of his life. Bitterly, Yusei knew he deserved whatever hate that Akiza would have for him, if she were to find out, and he also knew that if he wanted to truly be with her, he'd have to tell her the truth. _"Easier said than done."_

Quickly, before Sherry spotted him, Yusei maneuvered through the building, and headed towards the pool outside on the balcony. Leaning his arms over the rail, looking over at the city below him; Yusei allowed his mind to ease, and calm his racing heart. As he watched the sun begin to set, and the early signs of the stars to reveal themselves, he was broken from his thoughts, an all too familiar voice called out to him, one he hadn't from in a long time. "I figured you would be out here all by yourself. You were never the 'party' type."

Turning his head in the direction of the voice, Yusei watched as his best friend, Kalin Kessler leaned on the rail next to him. Looking at his friend now, he seemed a lot happier, and lighter than he had felt all those years ago after the Dark Signers. Beyond the change in his personality and tone, he was the spitting image of when Yusei had seen him during his time in Satisfaction Town. "Kalin… it's been a long time." Humming in response, Kalin cut straight to the point, "You look exhausted and on edge, Yusei. You should be celebrating, and yet here you are, all by yourself, looking as gloomy as I used to feel."

Stunned at first, Yusei just smirked at his old friend, smiling a small smile that didn't reach the emptiness Yusei felt in his heart, he replied; "I was never able to keep those things away from you, for too long." Kalin, nodded in agreement, and asked, "So? What's got you down?" Yusei turned away from Kalin for a moment, looking up at the stars beginning to shine through the sky, contemplating whether or not he should tell Kalin what was currently on his mind. After deliberating that it wouldn't do any good to keep this a secret any longer, Yusei reluctantly, told Kalin what happened between himself and the french blonde currently inside.

When the tale was over, Kalin simply replied, "Ah." Looking over at his friend with a raised brow, Yusei repeated, "Ah? That's it? Ah?" Kalin shrugged, and looked back to his friend, and responded, "What would you like me to say?" Yusei continued to look at Kalin quizzically before sighing, and replying, "I-I don't know… I thought if I told you what was on my mind, and what the potential fallout could be, I'd feel something, but… I don't feel any different. I thought you'd be angry, upset, pissed off by what I did, and I deserve whatever-"

Grasping his friend's shoulder, Kalin reassuringly said, "Yusei, don't beat yourself up over like that, you don't deserve any kind of hate, so stop. And I'm not mad. You're a strong person, Yusei; stronger than most, but you're still human, and you're still going to make mistakes. The only advise, I could give you that could alleviate what you're feeling right now, is talk to her; tell her what happened. She's a smart woman, Yusei; she knows that you two weren't together at the time, and she may even sympathize, and understand."

Yusei didn't say anything for awhile, but as Kalin clapped his friend on the shoulder, and went back inside to his date; Yusei replied without looking back, "Thanks. And give my regards to Misty." Kalin, smiling, having gotten through to his friend, didn't turn around as he waved back at his old friend, and replied, "Don't worry about it, and I will." Straightening his back, and standing at his full height, Yusei was just about to go back inside to the party, when his phone buzzed; indicating he got a text. Pulling out his phone, and unlocking the screen, he mentally read the small text:

"_Yusei, It's Greiger. I know it's been a number of years since last we spoke, and I do apologize for that, but something has happened, and I need you to come back here, as soon as it's possible. Something urgent has come up, and I don't want to explain what's going on over the phone; I'll see you later." _

Muttering Greiger's name, Yusei didn't realise it until a moment later, when he was approached by Akiza. "Grieger? Isn't he in Peru with his brother and sister? What could he have wanted from you?" Pocketing his phone away, Yusei looked up to Akiza, and replied, "I don't know, but something's happened over there, and he wants - needs me to go over there as soon as possible." Raising a brow, Akiza looked curious, and asked, "Really? What about?" Yusei shook his head, and responded, "I'm not sure. He said it was urgent, and that he didn't want to discuss this over the phone." Sighing, Yusei rubbed his temples in frustration, muttering, "Just when things are starting to settle down, something always comes up…"

Raising her hands, Akiza grasped Yusei's and pulled them away from his head, and said, "It's okay, Yusei. He's a friend, and he needs your help; no one would hold it against you if you left to help out a friend." Reminded of how much Akiza has changed over the years, Yusei's resolve strengthened as he squeezed her hands reassuringly, and said, "Thank you, Akiza." Akiza breathed an _"Oh!" _when Yusei pulled her into a hug, wrapping his arms around her. Giggling at Yusei's odd behaviour, Akiza asked, "What's gotten into you, Yusei?" Separating, but not letting go of her, Yusei, dodged her question, and instead, asked her one, "When I come back, would you do me the honor of being my date?"

Akiza's mind and breath halted at Yusei's words. Looking into his eyes, she could tell that he was serious, and wasn't playing a joke, but yet she still hesitantly asked, "What...did you...say?" Leaning down, his breath tickled her ear as he pulled her close, and repeated, "Go out with on a date, when I come back, yeah?" For a moment, everything stood still. The noise inside fell on deaf ears as she gazed into Yusei's big, blue cerulean eyes. The words she so desperately wanted to hear, and bitterly thought she would never get to, were replaying in her head. _"Yusei's asking me out?! What are you doing!? Say YES damnit!" _Both her emotional and logical halves of her brain melded into one; shouting at her to agree to it. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she replied breathlessly, "Yes."

Wrapping her arms around Yusei's neck, she replied again, much more strongly, "Yes!" This time the people inside the twins' apartment, finally took notice of the two missing people, and watched, as Akiza was twirled around by Yusei, before setting her down, and the two shared a kiss. Everyone inside, including Sherry, all had the same thought, watching the two; _"It's about damn time."_

* * *

On the other side of the city, a man was sitting in a cell, staring at the bare plate of eaten food, willing it to move, but just as it had been since he was somehow revived ten years ago, his powers had vanished, and the plate didn't move. Angerly, the red haired man picked up the plate, and threw it across the room, slamming it into the other side of his small cell.

Just then, a guard beating his nightstick against the reinforced steel of the bars, shouted, "Hey, keep it down in there!" Scoffing at the officer, the man dropped down on the very uncomfortable futon, staring at his hands, as he contemplated where everything in his life came to an abrupt end. _"Damn you, Fudo! If it wasn't for your meddling, I'd have the world in the palm of my hand, and MY Akiza, MY Black Rose at MY side! Because of you, I'm nothing more than a mere, pathetic human again! Because of you, I'm trapped here like some common rat, and it's because of you, that MY Akiza is gone!" _

As the night dwelled on, the man began to feel cold. Curling himself into a ball, and throwing the thin sheet blanket over himself, trying to warm up failed, as the room temperature continued to decrease. Just then, he could see the lights of the maximum security wing - which never shut off - were blown out, as what looked like a mass of pure darkness passed each cell, before stopping in front of his. Scrambling back, tripping over the blanket, and falling on his ass, the man scampered to the back end of the room's cell wall, with nowhere to go, as the darkness phased through the metal door. Stopping just in front of the once, powerful psychic, the mass of darkness, held out a hand, and ominously said, "_**Come…"**_

* * *

A/N: Another short chapter. Don't me about the whole Sherry/Yusei thing. More of it will be explained when Yusei returns, as will what happened with Akiza during her time in Germany. Everything will be revealed then. Well, everything regarding Yusei and Akiza, anyway. As for the rest of the story, it's only just begun. I know there was little interaction between Yusei and members of the team here, but don't worry more of that will come. Leave a review, if you will. I always like to hear from my people. No flames though. Or I'll send you to the shadow realm!


	3. The More They Stay The Same

**Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's: War of the Dragons**

**Chapter 3: ...The More They Stay The Same**

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the wait. Summer Semester is a pain, but I caught a lucky break this past weekend, so I was able to write this up during that time. Unfortunately, due to time constraints, I don't think I'll get another chance like this, so updates will be scarce during the Summer.

As for the questions asked in the reviews; first thing I want to say is thanks for letting me know what you guys do and don't want to see, it actually helps. Second, I'm not going to spoil anything in this section, so you'll just have to read to find out.

* * *

After the reunion party ended, most of Team 5Ds' friends and families retired and returned to their own homes; leaving only the twins, Jack, Carly, Crow, Yusei, Akiza, and her parents, all of whom were residing in the now fully occupied living room. Soon, however, Hideo and Setsuko left to return to their family home, and told Akiza that she is welcome to stay, until such a time where she can look for her own place. Appreciating her parents' help, Akiza, unfortunately declined, and told them that she would be looking for a place to live as soon as she could. She had spent the last 6 months living on her own in an apartment in Germany, and though she loved her parents, she wasn't ready to move back in with them.

Understanding, her parents still left the offer open, in case she changed her mind, and with that, the oldest of the adults left the younger men and women to mingle. As she listened to Crow telling the others of a story during his time duelling with a team, she left the living room in order to refill her glass, and after getting an answer that no one else wanted a drink, she made her way to the twins' kitchen. As she placed her now empty glass of wine in the sink, she let the water run, as her thoughts drifted to what she was told only moments before she bumped into Yusei...

* * *

_3 Hours Earlier…_

Akiza watched from the corner of her eye, Yusei abruptly leaving the party, and headed towards the twins' pool, leaning over the rail, watching the city below. She had a half a mind to go see what was bothering him, until she heard the french blonde sigh behind her. "What is it Sherry?"

As the words left her mouth, she noticed Sherry glancing in Yusei's direction, watching as Kalin approached him from behind. When she glanced back to Sherry, the aforementioned blonde's previously sunny expression, gloomed. Once again, Akiza asked, worriedly, "Sherry, tell me. What's going on? Ever since you saw Yusei, you've been acting strangely. So, I'll ask again, what is it?"

Closing her eyes, Sherry took a deep breath, muttering something about Yusei killing her if he ever finds out. Just before Akiza asked what she meant, Sherry reopened her eyes, pulling along Akiza's wrist towards the back, where there were less witnesses. After walking a distance away from the party, Sherry let go of Akiza, before she sat down, and gestured for Akiza to do the same. Hesitantly, Akiza sat beside the blonde, as Sherry worried her hands together. For Akiza, Sherry's behaviour was both surprising and unexpected. For as long as she's known her, Akiza had never seen Sherry act like this; she was always headstrong and confident. Deciding that she's waited long enough, Akiza gently placed her hand over Sherry's, catching her attention.

When Sherry's hands stopped their shaking, Akiza, slowly let go, and gave the french blonde a knowing look. Swallowing the lump in her throat, Sherry started speaking what was bothering her; "After everything regarding Yliaster and Z-ONE, I left New Domino to return to my country, for a time. I had learned everything there was to know about my parents and why Yliaster wanted them dead, so I saw no reason to stay here." Stopping momentarily, Akiza remembered the time Sherry was referring to. Her time duelling the blonde, with Crow by her side, as they tried and successfully defeated her, and showed her that Z-ONE wasn't who he had told her he was.

Afterwards, Sherry continued; "As I said, for a time, I left, and returned home with Ellseworth, but I couldn't stay away for long. Duelling is a passion and a hobby of mine, and New Domino, back when it was just Domino City is the birthplace of the sport, and eventually, I came back. That's when I ran into Yusei again. At the time I wasn't aware that your team separated, and as he described it, each of you were chasing and pursuing your own goals and dreams." Akiza stayed silent as she listened to Sherry's story; knowing that she would get to the part that was troubling her. After mentioning Yusei again, Sherry's nerves began taking over, until she steeled herself, and calmed down, before beginning again.

"I met him at a conference he was speaking at. I don't remember how I came to see myself at something like that, but in any case, it happened. After the convention was over, I found myself standing face to face with Yusei. This was… let me think… 5 years ago, so it would have been 3 years after everyone left, and I could tell that he had changed. He seemed taller, and his hair had grown longer and thicker, but that's not what caught my attention. He was… tired, exhausted, stressed, and most notably, alone…"

When Akiza heard Sherry mention that, she felt a pang of hurt and guilt spread through her heart, and cast her eyes down in what felt like shame, but she shook away those thoughts when Sherry spoke up again. "I know what you're thinking Akiza, and it's not your fault; it's not anyone's fault, these things just sort of happen; which brings me to my next point…" Abruptly, Sherry stopped, and turned her body in Akiza's direction. When the redhead looked back up, she could see Sherry facing her. As the two stared back at one another, Sherry grabbed Akiza's hands in her own, and spoke again, staring at Akiza with all of the courage and conviction she could muster…

"After the convention ended, Yusei took me out with him as friends. Catch up for old times sake, and all that. But… we got to drinking, and one thing led to another… and…" Sherry at this point looked like she was on the verge of hyperventilating, but she stopped there, unable to continue, but the implications were enough. Akiza just stared back, eyes ready to pop out of their sockets, and mouth hung agape. Sherry released Akiza's hands, but the redhead didn't move, didn't make a sound; she just sat there, unable to think of anything.

Sherry, fearing that Akiza was going to freak, quickly explained in a hushed whisper, to avoid attracting attention, "It's not what you think! I didn't - he didn't - it was consensual, but it was just sex, I swear, Akiza! Neither of us were expecting that to have happened; it just did. Please, you have to say something… You have to believe me…" Gulping the lump in her and bile in her throat, Akiza's already pale features looked almost ghostly as she absorbed all of the information thrown at her, and understanding the implications, she nodded her head ever so slightly, casting her gaze downwards.

Sherry didn't speak again for some time, allowing the redhead to process everything she had revealed so far. As Akiza thought about it, it did clear some questions she was having, and it did explain - sort of - why Yusei and Sherry were acting strange whenever one caught the other's presence, but there was something that didn't make sense. "Okay… I-I get all that, but… you said this happened almost 5 years ago… have the two of you… never reconciled…?"

Taken aback that Akiza was able to ask that question, given how the redhead feels for the former Dragon Head Signer, Sherry was expecting her to lash out at her out of jealousy and hate. Thanking whatever deity that's watching over the french blonde beauty, Sherry reluctantly replied, "W-we did, but I-I'm so sorry, Akiza, but it wasn't the only time he - we did… well, _that_." This time, Akiza visibly flinched back, and only muttered an "Oh…" in response. Akiza felt tears beginning to swell in her eyes, as she had to come to realize that maybe… Yusei had moved on, but before her bitter thoughts could take over, she heard Sherry say, "But it ended, shortly afterwards."

Catching Akiza's attention, the blonde watched as Akiza wiped away the unshed tears, and faced her again, gasping, "What?" Sherry feeling worse than she had started feeling let all of her secrets regarding her "relationship" with Yusei out in the open for Akiza to hear. "After the first time; we talked… and came to an agreement. This _thing _between he and I, it was just for sex; something, anything to get the edge off, and I was fine with that. He wasn't using me for his own relief, no matter what he might say otherwise, and I wasn't using him, and for a little while, it worked. I left soon afterwards, and anytime I found myself back in the city, we'd indulge ourselves - which didn't happen often; most of the time I was travelling around the world - but it quickly ended soon afterwards."

Akiza just paid attention as Sherry continued; the redhead hanged onto every word the buxom, french blonde had to say. "I could tell he was still suffering from something, and after some persuasion, he told me he couldn't do this anymore. Truth be told, I didn't want it to continue anymore than he, but I had to know what was bothering him, and that's when he told me." Sherry stopped, turning her attention back to Akiza, before uttering, "It was you, Akiza." Said woman just looked back at Sherry like a deer stuck in headlights, and didn't say anything as Sherry continued her story, "He felt as if he was betraying the trust between you two every time he and I got together. Even though, as you're aware, and as far as I understood, the two of you weren't in a relationship at the time. It was then that I knew that his heart and soul belonged to you, and as for my own reasons for ending the "relationship", I could see just how much in love he was with you, and after everything the two of us remained friends, but it was awkward and tense in the beginning…"

Letting everything settle, Sherry took a deep breath, and settled back into her seat, letting her shoulders sag, as if a great weight had been lifted off her shoulders, and in a way, it had. Looking back at Akiza, Sherry hoped that she wouldn't hold a grudge against Yusei. It was a moment of weakness, and a mistake, no matter how much Sherry was willing to admit that she enjoyed it while it lasted. Watching as the gears were turning in the redhead's mind, Sherry beat her to it, "As to why Yusei and I seem to be acting differently whenever we catch a glimpse of the other, it only happens whenever I'm in your presence. I think Yusei's afraid of what might happen should you learn of what happened between us; in which case, now you have. So, let me ask, what will you do now, Akiza?"

Letting it all sink in, Akiza took a moment to collect her thoughts, and another moment to try to voice her thoughts. After a number of minutes, Akiza began spoke. "I-I don't know. I-I'm not mad. I mean, we - Yusei and me, I mean - kissed before I left for Germany, and due to our conflicting schedules and gruelling hours, we never got the chance to start a relationship, and it has been close to almost 9 years, so I can't say that I'm not surprised. I mean, I am, you know, but after you've told me everything, a part of me, is actually relieved."

That… wasn't what Sherry expected. Sure she was happy that Akiza didn't hate her, or Yusei for that matter, but relieved? There was something Akiza wasn't telling her. But before the blonde, french woman could ask, Akiza beat her to the punch; revealing her own secrets about what happened during her time in Germany. "I know how that sounds, but Yusei wasn't the only one to have a moment of weakness, Sherry. I can relate and completely understand why Yusei did what he did; I'm… guilty of it too. I was stressed out with living in a new country, the hours, the schoolwork, everything, and I just wanted it to stop, so I let some of my college friends take me to this party, and well, after a few drinks, I don't know how it happened, but I was this guy, and…"

As Akiza told Sherry her secret, the blonde's eyes widened at the revelation, but didn't comment as she listened to the redhead continue on. She could see tears begin to prick at her friend's eyes as she abruptly stopped. Sherry wanted to comfort Akiza in some way, but allowed Akiza her space, as she shakingly continued. "And… well, afterwards, when I returned to my dorm, I was disgusted with myself, and rid myself of the bile in my stomach. I wasn't just disgusted, but I was also angry and ashamed of myself afterwards. And I swore to myself to never do that again. I also never told anyone of what happened, not even my parents; I didn't want them involved. It… took me a while, but I managed to forgive myself, and found other ways to relieve my stress, like yoga. I'd go on dates that my friend's would set up, but nothing came from them. After that particular night, I didn't - I wouldn't sleep with another man that I didn't know. Once, I experimented with my _"girlfriends", _but…"

It was at this point, Akiza developed a light pink blush, that Sherry thought was curious. Raising a brow, she silently asked what Akiza meant; only for the redhead's blush to deepen from a light pink to a crimson red. Looking away for a moment, Akiza muttered something, that Sherry didn't hear, and when asked again Akiza nervously replied, "When I was… you know _relieving _myself, I couldn't… well, you know… oh, how do I say this… I couldn't become _satisfied_, unless I thought about… Yusei…"

It was Sherry's turn to become completely shellshocked. _That _was the last thing she expected to come out of Akiza's mouth. She had heard of some kind of rare medical condition that makes it where a person, but more often than not, a woman, was unable to achieve an orgasm, or a climax. Her train of thought was heading in that direction, until she heard Akiza utter Yusei's name. Now that she thought about it more clearly, it wasn't exactly surprising, but to hear Akiza admit it, and the implications that Akiza had _never _had an orgasm without thinking of the raven haired scientist was… astonishing. When Akiza finished, her face was as red as her hair, and Sherry would have laughed if it was in a different situation. Contemplating everything that was shared between them, Sherry, grabbed Akiza's shoulder, and squeezed it gently to catch the redhead's attention. Turning back to gaze at the blonde, Sherry smiled and said, "Thank you for telling me that, Akiza. But if you want this anxiety you feel disappear, the best thing you can do is tell him."

* * *

Akiza was broken from her thoughts, when she heard an all too familiar, deep voice from behind her, "You okay there Akiza?" Jumping slightly, nor having known that Yusei was behind her, when she turned around to face him, she was breathing hard, and put a hand to her chest, to try to calm her racing heart. Flipping off the faucet, she turned back towards Yusei to acknowledge his presence; "Oh my-! Yusei! You scared me!"

Chuckling, Yusei replied, "A little jumpy, are we?" Squinting her eyes at him, Akiza playfully slapped his muscled chest, muttering under her breath, "Jerk." His grin spreading into a smile, Yusei's expression changed suddenly to worry as he looked Akiza over. She looked paler than normal, slightly flushed, and more than a "little jumpy". When Akiza removed her hand from his chest, her gaze lifted back to his face. Noticing the way he was looking at her, Akiza could see the question forming in his head, and tried to alleviate the problem. "Don't worry about me, Yusei. Really, I'm fine. I was just caught up in my own thoughts. We should head back to the living room before anyone gets any ideas."

As she tried to walk past Yusei, he stopped her, and when she tried to ask him what he was doing, he interrupted her; informing her that she's been "caught up in her own thoughts" longer than she thought. "That's the thing, everyone has already either gone to bed, or has left to go home. Must have been pretty serious; whatever it was you were thinking about." Shocked that she was gone long enough for the others to leave; Akiza's curiosity won over, and though she knew Yusei wouldn't lie about something as trivial as their friends going to sleep - here or in their own homes - she had to check for herself. True enough, when the two came back to the living room, they were the only two that were left.

As she looked about the now empty room, Akiza couldn't help, but ask, "How long was I in there?" Coming up alongside her, Yusei replied, "Not as long as you might think. Everyone is still pretty tired and exhausted from the travelling and the jetlag. Jack was invited to stay in one of New Domino's hotels, while Crow left to return to Martha's; wanting to catch up with the kids that were left in her care after he left. Carly left for her own apartment, and the twins are up in their rooms, and has a couple of guest rooms for you to choose from, should you want to stay here for the night. I was going to head on home, but you were still missing in the kitchen, so I came to check if you were all right."

As Akiza took this all in, she was contemplating what she should do now. She hadn't had the opportunity to book a stay at a hotel when she came back, not that she needed to. She had other options, like saying with the twins, or going back to her parents' home. She could have asked Carly, but looking at how late it was in the night, the reporter was probably asleep. As she thought about where she might be staying for the time being, she heard Yusei make a suggestion, "If you want, you're welcome to stay with me." Believing she must have misheard him, Akiza asked, "What?" Blushing ever so slightly, Yusei repeated, "I said you could stay with me, if you want to. I know it's a little odd, since we're supposed to be going out tomorrow night, but I was thinking, since everyone else has gone to their own homes, and after you told your parents you didn't want to move back in with them, for the time being…"

At first, Akiza was stock still silent. Then, she was all giddy and excited, on the inside. Actually, she ecstatic. Yusei was asking her to stay with him! She felt like she was 18 all over again. Looking back at him, Akiza saw that Yusei - though he tried to hide it - was uncharacteristically nervous and had a faint pink blush dusting his cheeks. In that moment, Akiza never thought of Yusei as any more cute than he was now. Getting an idea, she slyly gazed back into his eyes, watching his reaction, when she said in a sultry, flirty tone, "Yusei, you're not just saying this so you can take advantage of me later, are you?"

Immediately, the light pink blush, transformed into a scarlet red, his face colored like that of a tomato. His expression caused Akiza's facade to shift from flirty to hilarious, unable to keep herself from laughing hysterically. When Yusei finally understood that she was just teasing him, he deadpanned and muttered under his breath, looking away from her, "Ha ha, very funny. And you call me a jerk." Wiping a tear from her eye, Akiza finally managed to calm down. Grasping Yusei's hand in her own, catching his attention, she answered his previous question, "I'd love to, Yusei."

* * *

Meanwhile, in the Director's building, Lazar was just filing away the last of his reports, ready to head home, when a security officer burst through the door panting and heaving as if he had just come back from running a marathon. Leering at the officer, Lazar was just about to question the young man what was so important that he needed to run straight to his office, when the officer blurted out, "Director Lazar, sir! We have an emergency, someone's escaped from the Facility!"

This caught Lazar's immediate attention. There hasn't been an escape not since Yusei's brief time inside the structure. "What?! Who?! How did this happen?!" Catching his breath for a moment, the officer replied, "I don't know sir. One minute everything was fine, and then the next…" Listening in, Lazar could hear the fear resonating within the young man's voice. He could also tell that the young man was shaking, almost uncontrollably. Whatever it was that happened in the last couple of hours had really shaken the man. Trying to ease the man down, Lazar raised his hand, motioning for the officer to stop. Then, moving from his desk, Lazar stood in front of the officer, with his hands behind his back, before nodding to himself, and walking past the officer, calling out to him, "Right. I'd like to see for myself. Come with me, and call Mr. and Mrs. Trudge; they would like to know too, how this could have happened."

Silently, Lazar was speaking to himself as he heard the young officer follow behind him, as he followed Lazar's orders. _"This should have been impossible… How did this happen? And who escaped? It couldn't have been a lowly grunt. They're not smart enough to come up with an escape plan all on their own, and even if there was a possibility that one did escape; it would never had caused an officer to come straight to me, especially one shaken with fear. That means that it had to have been someone dangerous enough for maximum security, but there is only one occupant that-!" _When realization hit Lazar, the little man abruptly stopped in his tracks. The officer behind him almost bumping into him. When asked what happened, Lazar just stared, wide eyed, off in the distance. Gulping his own fear down, the clown, hurried his pace, mentally voicing to his thoughts, _"No… that-that's not…. He shouldn't have been able… this is worse than I thought! Damn it! Why does this thing always happen at the worst possible time!?"_

* * *

When the company of Lazar, Mina and Tetsu, along with Kaz and the young security officer made it to the Facility, everything looked perfectly normal, at least on the outside. It wasn't until they made it to the Facility's Maximum Security Level, did they realize something was amiss. For one, obviously, all the lights had been blown out. For another, it was unbearably cold. But the most troubling were the littered bodies of security officers lying on the floor.

The young officer, whom was informed that someone was trying to escape was lucky to have survived. The bodies that were left behind, wouldn't even be considered as bodies. They were just husks of what was once men and women. They looked mummified. Their skin dry as bone, eyes gone, leaving behind black gaping holes of their eye sockets. Their teeth black as ink. It was as if their souls-their very life force was sucked from within. The young officer that somehow managed to escape, couldn't hold his dinner, and abruptly left the room before before vomiting away from the crime scene. The other members of their party didn't look any better, but pressed on.

When they finally reached the sole door inside the wing, nothing looked out of place, and when both Kaz, then Trudge tried to open the door, they found that the locks were still in place. Typing in the right set of combinations, and using two keys to unlock the door, when the party walked inside, the room was bare of anything. As if, the prisoner and whoever helped him escape just disappeared. After a long moment, Kaz spoke first, "What do we do now? Inform the general populace that Sayer's escaped?" Trudge, shook his head, and replied, "No. That'll just cause mass hysteria and panic; it would do more harm than good." Kaz, though he disagreed that not telling the public wouldn't be of any help, he reluctantly knew that it would only hinder their investigation, and nodded to his superior. Mina, however, knew that they had to tell at least one family, "That's not entirely true, Tetsu. There is someone we should tell."

Scrunching his face, and pinching his brows together, he knew who she was talking about, and knew that she was right. "She just got back, and then something like this happens. It's not my decision to make, but you're right she needs to know, as does her parents. Director, you've been quiet so far, is there anything you want to add?" Lazar, for a moment, just stared back at the barren cell, then turned his gaze back to the mangled husks and shells of what was once men and women. Closing his eyes, he sighed exasperated, before looking back up to Trudge. "There's nothing we can do right now. Let the Akiza girl and her family rest for now, we'll tell them in a few days. I'd also like for Yusei Fudo to be notified as well. He will also most likely be a target, but we won't inform him until Akiza and her family are notified first."

Though Mina and Trudge wanted to argue, they knew that this was for the best, and reluctantly kept their opinions to themselves. It wouldn't do any good for Akiza to have to look over her shoulder 24/7 after she had just arrived, and wouldn't do any good to have her parents, or her friends worrying over her, especially Yusei. Silently, the party mentally did agree on one thing, _"Why did this have to happen now?"_

* * *

When the pair, consisting of Yusei and Akiza made it to Yusei's home, Akiza was awed by the place. Along the trip, Yusei informed her that after saving up enough money, he moved out of Poppo Time Garage, and bought a home close to Tops. When asked why, Yusei told her that while Poppo Time holds many memories that precious and dear to him, mentally recalling the last time he and Akiza were in his garage together, he too, had to move on, but he always hold those memories close to his heart.

After parking in his duel runner in his garage, and taking what little luggage Akiza brought with her - the rest was currently in her parents' car - the first thing she noticed immediately was a tan wrapping covering what looked like to be some sort of vehicle, most likely a car of some kind. Catching Akiza's gaze, Yusei watched as she lightly touched the fabric, swiping her hand across the surface. As she continued to do this, Yusei spoke, "It's a project of mine that I do in my spare time. When Martha first found it, it was just a bunch of scrap metal and a hunk of junk. Work was stressful, so was the schooling I had to do, and on top of that, I still have the occasional fans and paparazzi to deal with. And I needed an outlet to focus on."

Akiza continued to admire the unseen finished product, knowing that Yusei omitted the bit about his brief "relationship" with Sherry - she knew that as far as he knew, she didn't know about that, and was probably going to bring it up during their date (which was also when she was planning on telling Yusei about her own little secret) - she didn't say anything as he continued with his tale. "I started exercising more, running mostly. Sometimes I'd hit the gym, but with all the fans and reporters, I decided to make my own little weight training system in my basement. It's not as 'pretty' or 'grand' like an official gym, but it's all the same really. Anyway, between the exercise and fixing and upgrading my duel runner, it eased the stress, but I needed something else, something long term, so that's when Martha suggested this. After having some of my old friends help me tow it back here, I stripped it down to its bare parts, and restarted from scratch."

At this point, Akiza had finished admiring Yusei's handiwork, and sat herself down at his makeshift workshop, listening to his voice. When he stopped for a moment, and turned his head back to his "project", Akiza's gaze followed his own, and she was once again reminded of his intelligence and ingenuity. The tale reminding her that Yusei built, not just one, but two duel runners from scratch, practically by himself. It also reminded her how Yusei was able to finish making her her very own duel runner. Feeling a familiar warming sensation spread throughout her body at the memory, she nonchalantly asked offhandedly, "How long did it take you to get to where you are now?"

Turning her attention back at Yusei, she noticed that look whenever someone complimented his work. He would fidget from time to time, a slight blush adorning his cheeks, and the way he would rub and scratch the back of his head; to do anything to distract someone from looking at him in the eye. Yusei wasn't shy by nature, nor did he feel as if he didn't deserve the praise. But he also wasn't someone that bragged about anything he accomplished; preferring his actions speak for themselves. But there was always that little part of him, that little kid that would shy away whenever someone gave him even the slightest bit of attention.

Over the years, Yusei got a better handle of it as he grew older, and for the most part, he wouldn't react whenever someone would mention or make a comment about something he did; however, Akiza had noticed that whenever she was the one to initiate such a response, he was never able to keep his nerves in check. Honestly, she found it to be cute, and just another thing about him that intrigued her. Yusei noticed that Akiza was staring at him fondly, not put off, nor fooled by his act, and just decided to drop it, informing her, "Well, it's not exactly finished yet, but I'd say approximately, a week's time. Maybe less."

There was no air of arrogance, or over inflated pride laced in his words, but that didn't cover Akiza's surprise. "Wow, you got this far in just a week?" Letting a smile spread across his face, and his blush deepen just a bit more, Yusei corrected her, "Thanks, but I'm not that good. I've had this thing for months now, but if you were to count the number of hours that I was able to work on it, it should total up to about a week's worth of time." Returning the smile, Akiza silently reflected back on his character and personality, _"There's that modesty of his again."_

* * *

After showing her his pet project, Yusei led her to the rest of the house. It was a nice place, if a little small, but then again, it was like Yusei to only need his bare essentials. And just like him, the outside was modest; not too big, nor too small, but perfect for someone living on their own. The inside, however, caught Akiza's attention. It wasn't grand, nor extravagant, but it was much nicer than what the boys had to live with in Poppo Time. It was a two story household; with a kitchen connected to a dining area, with a living room across from it. A utilities/laundry room connected to the back, with a door which most likely led to Yusei's basement. Upstairs, consisted of Yusei's bedroom, bathroom, and study, for his work that he brought home.

Unfortunately, Yusei didn't have a guest room, and Akiza was reminded of her witty little banter from earlier, and once again, teased Yusei of what his intentions might be. Coming up from behind him, she grasped onto his shoulders - which Akiza noticed were broader than she remembered, and could tell that Yusei wasn't lying about not exercising more - leaning her head next to his ear, she whispered seductively, almost licking the shell of his ear, "Yusei. Don't think I didn't notice that you don't have a guest room for me to stay in. What were you thinking of doing to me, you naughty boy?" Yusei visibly stiffened at Akiza's touch. The sensation of her breath on his neck, and the ever so slight feeling of her tongue on his ear, sent shivers down his spine.

Smirking at his response to her words and touch; she continued to play with him, slowly circling him, until they were face to face, letting her hands roam over Yusei's clothed chest. She could feel the heat radiating off of him, and when she turned her gaze up to his face, she was taken aback that his pupils had actually dilated; knowing full well what that entailed, Akiza pushed further, leaning on her toes, she brought her lips a hair's breadth from his own, and in a velvet sweet, husky and seductive tone asked, "Did you bring me here to have your way with me, Yusei? Because, if you did-"

Wrapping her arms around his shoulders, she moved her lips past his own, brushing them along his jawline, and brought them to his other ear, letting her lips tickle his earlobe. The action caused her to press herself up against his body; her breasts pushed up against his muscled chest, and his groin - which she could tell was _definitely aroused_, turning her on as well - pressed against her own. For added effect, she brought a leg up, wrapping it around Yusei's waist, and she wasn't disappointed when his hands - which were so far, left by his sides - came up, and held her waist, holding her to him. With everything in place she finished, "-I wouldn't be opposed if you did…"

The next thing she knew, Akiza was lifted in the air, and her back pressed against a wall, with Yusei pressed against her. His leg wedged between her own, and one hand one her waist, while the other was on her thigh. Instinctively, her legs wrapped around his waist, and his free leg, while her hands were fisted into his shirt; her breath hot and heavy. Out of all the things she expected Yusei to do,_ this_ wasn't one of them. Pressing his forehead, to her own, Akiza's breath - or what's left of it - caught in her throat. He was gazing at her just like he did at the airport; just like he did 8 years ago in Poppo Time's garage. She could see her reflection in his eyes, and had come to notice that her own pupils had dilated.

Leaning ever so slightly, Yusei's lips were just a breath away, Akiza could almost taste them. However, before Akiza could try to catch them between her teeth, Yusei's lips formed a grin. Backing away from her, and letting her fall gently back to the floor, Yusei winked, and walked past her into his bedroom, but not before muttering just loud enough for her to hear, "Played like a fiddle."

Akiza was left dumbfounded, before her surprise quickly turned to frustration and embarrassment. Yusei was toying with her the whole time! The entire endeavor was for him to get all worked up and bothered, not her! And Yusei saw right through it, after the first time. Growling and grunting in frustration, she stomped her feet in the direction of Yusei's bedroom, ready to give him a piece of her mind, before she stopped abruptly in the doorway.

On the other side of the room, Yusei had just rid himself of his work shirt, tossing it in clothes hamper on the other side of his bed. Akiza was able to get a front row seat, unobscured, as she gazed, practically drooling at the sight before her; raking her eyes all over Yusei's muscled chest, broad shoulders, toned abdomen, and his lean muscular arms. Trailing her eyes down his body, she followed his movements as he reached his belt. Suddenly, Akiza realised just what she was doing, and immediately turned around, leaving Yusei to his privacy. Unbeknownst to her, Yusei knew she was watching him. After ridding himself of most of his clothing - left only in a pair of boxers - Yusei's thought, as he made his way to his bathroom, _"Perhaps, this wasn't such a good idea… But it's too late to change that now… Either way, the next couple of days will definitely be… interesting."_

* * *

When Sayer awakened again, he found himself not in a cell, but in a wide room, with a long table, and nine other chairs, one of which was occupied by the dark figure he had seen before. _"So it wasn't all just a dream…"_ Finding himself on the floor, Sayer struggled, but managed to stand, gazing around the room. Unfortunately, the only thing that wasn't surrounded in pitch black darkness was the long table he noticed before, at the center of the room, with only a single lit candle placed in its center.

As Sayer approached the table slowly, he was able to see the dark figure from before, shrouded in shadows, but just barely visible due to the lone candlelight. Noticing his hesitation, the figure reached out a hand, motioning to one of the chairs and only said, _**"Sit." **_Sayer stood, staring at the obscured figure, before following the figures command, taking a seat to the right of the figure. Once he was settled, Sayer asked, "Who-What are _you_? Where are we? And why did you break me out of prison?"

The dark figure was silent for a moment, letting it spread throughout the room. Just when Sayer's already low patience was wearing thin, the shadowed figure, waved his hand around, causing the candlelight to shine brighter, thus allowing Sayer to get a good look, and what he saw shook him to his core. _**"Who and rather what I am is of no importance, at the moment. Where we are, is… rather complicated, and as for you… we have something in common, and you're going to help me because of what we both want…"**_

* * *

A/N: And done! Okay, so first things first, I know. We didn't get to see Yusei and Akiza's date, and that's for two reasons. One, there were other things that needed to be addressed first, and two; while I feel confident enough to write flirtatious banter (as you can tell in this chapter) and smut/lemons (that will come later), my knowledge on dating, and writing dating scenes is… well, non existent, but fret not, there will (probably) be one, most likely in the next chapter, and any feedback or suggestions would be helpful.

Kind of funny and weird at the same time. I don't have a problem writing sexually explicit content, but I have no idea how to write dates. Anyway, on to other matters. As those that asked can see, we get an explanation to what Akiza experienced during her time in Germany. Not all of it was pleasant, and while it was all consensual; she didn't like it. And while for some time she didn't like herself for what she did, she never thought that she was a whore, or a slut, as some have worried. I would never write Akiza ever seeing herself like that, nor would I write anyone who cares about her to name her as such.

As i mentioned before, eight years is a long time to be apart from someone, especially someone you harbor feelings for; and there's always the possibility that those feelings can change, or be focused on another, which was one of Akiza's worries when Sherry told her of her "thing" with Yusei, but as we see, in my opinion, hopefully, I was able to get across that Yusei and Akiza's love for each other didn't diminish during their time apart; if anything, hopefully I was able to convey that it grew.

Yusei and Akiza will both share their secrets with each other later on; hopefully whenever I get to writing the date chapter. Speaking of updating, as I said in the beginning, it will be scarce. Summer Semester is much shorter than the average quarter, and doesn't leave me with much time or opportunity to write, so just be patient.

As you know, let me know what you guys think, it always helps, whether it's constructive criticism, or a compliment. I haven't had anyone flame me yet, but there's always a first time for everything, so apples and oranges, I guess. Until next time. Peace.


	4. Truths Revealed

**Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's: War of the Dragons**

**Chapter 4: Truths Revealed**

* * *

A/N: Okay, so I got what I was expecting last time. For you faith shippers out there, myself included, I humbly apologise. I'm not a Yusei/Sherry shipper, and I'm certainly not an Akiza/anyone-else-other-than-Yusei shipper. Truth be told (see what did there? Sorry bad joke), I was uncomfortable writing those parts, and I don't even want to think about writing the explicits; I'd probably puke.

But there was a reason why I did have those parts included; two reasons actually. One; it was a plot device to show how long eight years can be, and what can happen during that time period. Second, and more importantly, I wanted to try something different. I wanted Yusei and Akiza to have a relationship similar to the one that they had in my Lovers' Bond story, but at the same time, I didn't want to make a copy of it; otherwise, this would just be that story with duels featured in it.

However, you can rejoice! As the title suggests, this is where Yusei and Akiza tell each other about their time apart, and reconcile. But those won't be the only truths revealed… On with the story! Warning: this chapter will probably be 10K-ish words, so more of my usual length.

* * *

Akiza's heart was thumping and pounding in her chest, as she hid behind Yusei's door, just before entering his shower. Just a moment ago, she watched her long time crush and love undress before her very eyes, and she drank up the sight of him like a man dehydrated and left in the desert. Her face flushed and breathing accelerated when she remembered the way his arms and muscles contorted and moved as he removed his shirt. When he bent over to take off his boots, she had a clear visage of his backside, and could see the outline of a perfect v that dipped beneath his pants.

Her legs felt like jelly as she watched him remove his pants, her eyes surveying the toned musculature of his legs. Her hands moved of their own accord, as she visualized Yusei in nothing but his boxer shorts, just as she caught a glimpse of the bulge protruding through the fabric, her mind's eye caught another glimpse. Yusei briefly, for only a second, glanced in her direction before she jumped behind the door. With sudden realization of what she was about to do, in Yusei's home no less, she quickly removed herself from her hiding place, and skipped down the stairs two at a time to his living room.

When she finally managed to calm herself down, Akiza's mind was reeling at the fact that she not only spied on Yusei while he was ridding himself of his clothes, but he had known she was there the whole time! He didn't even stop her, instead, he was smirking with a shit eating grin on his face! She should have been embarrassed; maybe even a little mad, but she wasn't. In fact, if she was honest with herself, she was a little turned on that he was watching her watch him. However, her exhilaration was quickly replaced with embarrassment and shame when she realized she was about to masturbate not ten feet away from Yusei. In short, she was excited, terrified, and mortified.

Excited because she knew that Yusei still loved her, not just from Sherry's own admission, but the brief glances they shared between one another ever since she got back, and especially their teasing and foreplay from earlier in the hallway. Terrified because he doesn't know that she knows about him and Sherry's past fling, and because he doesn't know of her own mistakes she made in Germany, and she's terrified of the risk of telling him, and the possibility - however low it might be - that he'll reject her once he knows the truth. Mortified because the sexual tension between them is at an all time high, and she's afraid she won't be able to control herself, nor stop herself from either pleasuring herself - which she's gotten quite good at, ever since she discovered that she CAN get off, if she imagines herself with a certain raven-haired, hot scientist, or from jumping said scientist's bones. Groaning, Akiza put a hand to her head, her thoughts coming to a similar conclusion to Yusei's. _"Ugh, maybe this wasn't such a good idea…"_

However, Akiza's thoughts were cut short when said scientist, once again, interrupted her thinking. What she saw next made all of her thinking stop to an abrupt halt; her mind a complete and utter blank, and her mouth hung agape. There, standing not three feet from her, was Yusei Fudo, clad in only a shower towel, that clung oh, so close to his waist. Taking in the sight of a hot, wet, half-naked Yusei, Akiza could feel the heat of her blush, and arousal spread all over her body. Involuntarily, her legs rubbed closer together, trying to stifle her raising core body temperature.

Apparently, she had been staring at the half-naked, raven-haired scientist for far too long because she was shaken from her perverted gaze - not to mention, when her thinking finally started kicking in again, the only things that were running through her mind was what she wanted to do with Yusei in that moment; and none of them involved her clothes, or that towel wrapped around his waist - when she could hear Yusei calling her name. "I'm sorry, w-what, did you say, Yusei?" Smirking at her with that shit eating grin again, Akiza knew then, that Yusei was doing all of this on purpose. And again, Akiza couldn't find herself to be angry at Yusei's teasing, especially not since she was the one that initiated it. In fact, the thought of Yusei being sexy brought an all too familiar heat to once again pool itself together in her nether regions.

Biting her lip, she desperately tried not to let out a moan. Honestly, it was kind of embarrassing how easy it was for her to be turned on just by the thought of Yusei. She knew he was hot, sexy, and a total gentleman, but she never actually imagined him acting sexy. She never entertained the thought that Yusei might actually be able to make "sexy talk"; it just didn't seem to fit his character, but boy was she ever both glad and frustrated that she was wrong.

Crossing his arms over his chest, and tilting his head a little to his right, he looked her over, and chuckled to himself, just loud enough for her to hear, and said with a hint of humor in his voice, "I said, that the shower's ready. What's got you all hot and bothered, Akiza? I've been calling your name ever since I came out of the bathroom. When I didn't hear you respond, I thought you might have fallen asleep, so I came down here to check, but you were just staring off into space all in your own little world. What were you thinking about?"

If it was possible, Akiza could feel her blush deepen even further. She knew what Yusei was playing at. Muttering under her breath, "As if you don't know", she stood, and made her way towards Yusei's stairs, making sure to give him a show of her swaying her hips, she mentally exclaimed, _"Two can play at this game."_ Just before reaching the stairs, she looked back over her shoulder, and wasn't disappointed when she found Yusei staring at her with a hunger to his gaze, his eyes taking all of her in. Smirking to herself, she winked at him, before walking up the steps, replying to Yusei's earlier questions, "I don't know; I don't think you'll be able to find out."

* * *

After reaching the top of the stairs, she made her way to Yusei's bathroom. Shrugging off her lab coat, she folded it over itself before setting it aside. Reaching up to the pins in her hair, keeping it up in a bun, she removed them one at a time. When they were all out of her hair, the redhead's bun fell, cascading down to her just below her upper back. Then, she untucked the maroon red dress shirt, and began unbuttoning the rest of the buttons. Removing it, she folded that shirt and placed it on Yusei's bathroom counter, next to her folded lab coat. Following that, she then removed her black, knee-high skirt, and black stockings, leaving her in only her black laced bra, and matching panties.

Removing the final garments of her clothing that hid her gorgeous and beautiful body, she looked over herself in Yusei's mirror. Her skin was a bright pink, due to her naturally pale complexion and the blush she was wearing. Her nipples were erect, evident from all of the back and forth teasing and flirting between herself and Yusei, indicating her arousal was still there. Her eyes leaving her round firm breasts, then travelled lower, moving her hands down to her flat, toned stomach, then reaching her waist, reaching back around to her shapely behind, then coming back to rest on her thighs.

Huffing out a breadth, Akiza knew that she was too warm to take a hot shower, and though she had often entertained recent thoughts of pleasuring herself in Yusei's bathroom to try to alleviate some of the sexual tension between them, she knew that was wrong and a betrayal of his privacy. So, after taking a moment on how to work his bathroom's shower, she turned on the cold, and put it on full blast attempting to cool her body down. Yelping at the sudden sensation of the ice cold bath water soaking her body, her body was quick to adjust, due to how hot she felt. When she felt that she was cooled down enough, she gradually turned up the heat of the water, turning it to a warming and relaxing temperature.

After roughly 20 minutes, Akiza stepped out of Yusei's shower feeling refreshed and relaxed. Not to mention calm down enough to actually be in Yusei's presence without turning into a blushing teenager. Grabbing a towel, and drying her body and hair off, she tied said towel around her body, and was about to walk back out, when she realized her suitcase was in the living room, where Yusei was presumably residing she stopped, another blush threatening to creep up its way throughout her body - her mind and thoughts running ramped with various scenarios.

That is until she finally stomped them down, threw them to an empty corner in her subconsciousness, and threw away the key, finally, mentally berating herself for her recent behaviour; _"Stop it Akiza! This is unbecoming of yourself! You're not 18 anymore; you're an adult - a grown woman, not some blushing teenage schoolgirl! I'm happy for myself, hell, I'm ecstatic that I'm back, and in Yusei's life again, and that I'm actually going on a date with him (I don't care what Leo and Luna say, that day at the skating rink WASN'T a date, and I'll continue to deny it, until they accept it!). But there's also a bunch of unresolved… err… 'issues' I guess, between us, and a lot to talk about. When he comes back after his trip, and after our talk, if he still feels the same way as I do, and we do become an official couple, THEN, I can entertain the thought, but until then, for now, I have to keep an open mind. No matter what my feelings are…"_

Taking a deep breath, Akiza crossed the threshold, and was about to make her way down to the living room, when she stopped, and saw that Yusei's bedroom door was slightly ajar. Her curiosity piqued, and getting the better of her analytical mind, Akiza gently pushed open the door, peeking her head inside, and quietly asked in the darkened room, "Yusei? Are you in here?" Not receiving an answer, Akiza opened the door fully, then stepped inside, and switched on the light.

Sitting atop Yusei's bed was her suitcase she brought with her, and a note. Forgetting about her suitcase for the moment, Akiza picked up the note, and read its contents quietly aloud to herself. _"Akiza, sorry I wasn't able to stay awake long enough to tell you this in person, but I booked an early flight tomorrow, and it's gotten pretty late already; the flight is going to be long, possibly over 12 hours, and I need to get some sleep. Funny, I know, coming from me, but I do sleep just like everyone else." _

Laughing to herself about the truth of Yusei's words, she continued reading; _"I brought your suitcase up here for you to change, and before you say, or start thinking otherwise, I've already taken the couch. You're my guest Akiza, and it wouldn't be right for my guest to have to sleep on the couch, now would it? - Yusei." _Smiling at Yusei's consideration and thoughtfulness, she spoke a silent, "Thank you", before setting the note aside. Opening her suitcase, she dropped her towel, and quickly changed into a pair of white, pajama shorts, and a pink tank top. Removing her suitcase, and setting it on the gray, carpeted floor, next to the bed, Akiza laid beneath Yusei's dark blue comforter, and light gray sheets, resting her head on his fluffy, white pillows, quickly drifting off into a deep sleep.

* * *

It was about 5:30 in the morning when Akiza begrudgingly awoke, unable to fall back asleep. She was used to it by now; waking up early in the morning. Shifts at the hospital she worked at in Germany where she interned were hectic at their best, and she had no doubt that it would be any different now. Between that, and trying to adjust to Japan's time zone, Akiza's internal clock was trying to catch up, and unfortunately, wouldn't be getting back to sleep anytime soon. Muttering under her breath; "Damn time zones…", she threw Yusei's bedroom covers off herself, sat up rubbing her eyes, and stretched her arms, moaning in delight when she heard a pop.

After her eyes adjusted to the dim lighting in the room, it took her a moment to realize she was in Yusei's room. Remembering everything that had occurred within the past 24 hours, Akiza breathed a sigh of relief. It was still almost too good to be true; she was back, living momentarily with Yusei, sleeping in his bedroom, and they were going out on a date as soon as he came back. Her heart sank a little at the thought of him leaving, if only just for a couple of days. It was rather ironic, she and the others were just now starting to settle back in, and now Yusei was leaving them. She would have laughed if she wasn't still so tired. But she also realized that she and the others left for far longer than just a couple of days, and she was left wondering how Yusei dealt with that…

Pushing that thought away for now, Akiza swung her legs over the side of Yusei's bed, and got up out of his bed, standing, and stretching her body fully, letting out another moan when she heard another pop. As she looked around Yusei's room, she realized she didn't pay much attention to it when she first arrived, having been, understandably exhausted from the flight. Deciding she would have a look around before heading back downstairs, the first thing she noticed was the dresser across the room. Actually it was the photos and memorabilia sitting on top of the dresser, that caught her attention.

Taking in the sight of Yusei's various photos of himself with each member of the team at some point or another during the time he knew them, her eyes immediately rested upon the photo of them all at the WRGP, where Team 5D's won, just before the Ark Cradle descended. The trophy was sitting next to the photo, as was Bruno's glasses. After taking a moment to recollect her thoughts, she turned her gaze around the room, back to the bed. The color scheme was reminiscent of Stardust Dragon, as were the walls and carpet. In the back of her mind, she thought the rest of the house was probably the same.

Moving from her place in front of the dresser, she made her way to his closet, taking a peek inside. The first thing that caught her attention was Yusei's old outfit. The dark blue jacket, rimmed in black, with amber gem pads on the collar, shoulders, wrists, and tailcoat. Resting next to that was his old sleeveless black, muscle shirt with the intricate and odd, red symbol. Muttering a quiet, "Classic" to herself, she also noticed the same old black pants, with the same amber gem pads on the jean's kneecaps, as well as Yusei's old brown biker boots. Noticing that some of his clothes were missing, she realized he must have taken them with him when she was taking her shower. Blushing at the thought that Yusei could've stolen a glance at her while she was naked, in his shower no less - she quickly shook those thoughts away, remembering the "talk" she gave herself.

Checking the clock on Yusei's nightstand, the time was close to 6:00. Remembering that Yusei said that he had booked an early flight, Akiza went back to her suitcase, took some of her clothes out, and headed back towards Yusei's bathroom to get ready; she wanted to be there with Yusei when he left, just like he was when she left all those years ago. After 15 minutes, Akiza checked herself over in the mirror. She was wearing a black, short sleeve shirt, with a v neckline, showing off a bit of her cleavage, with a red, long sleeve, leather jacket over it. On her lower body, she had on a white short skirt, with black leggings, covering her legs, and red, high heeled pumps on her feet. Styling her hair back into the bun she had before, giving herself another once over, she nodded to herself, satisfied with the way she looked, then left for the living room downstairs, hoping Yusei hadn't already left.

* * *

When Akiza made it to Yusei's living room, she noticed wasn't there, but could hear the telltale signs of him tinkering in his garage. She breathed a sigh of relief, realizing Yusei hadn't left yet. Taking a look around his living space, she was quite surprised that this room wasn't colored like his bedroom. The couch sofa was a dark violet purple, with a tan colored sofa chair, and a dark red loveseat, sitting on either side of his couch. The carpet was still a gray coloring, and the walls still white, but if Akiza had to guess, this room reminded her of Yusei's Junk Warrior.

After taking a quick look around his living room, taking notice of the large flat screen television set sitting atop a TV stand, she went into Yusei's kitchen, and noticed he had already set out breakfast. The food on the table wasn't enough for the both of them, and with Yusei in his garage, that meant that either Yusei had already eaten, he had forgotten to eat, or… he made this for her. It was such a small gesture, and yet, it meant the world to her. Smiling again, at Yusei's thoughtfulness, she forgoed eating breakfast for the moment, and made her way to Yusei's garage.

Opening the door, and peering inside, her hand flew to her mouth to prevent the gasp escaping from her lips. There Yusei was, fine tuning not his duel runner, but his little "restoration project". Akiza was no car enthusiast by any means, but even she was awed by the beautiful machinery that she was in front of her. There, with its hood propped open, and Yusei working on the engine - or what Akiza assumed was the engine - was a blue 2020 Toyota Supra custom built from the ground up, if what Yusei's not-so-much-bragging admission was to go by.

She didn't know how long she was standing there, admiring Yusei's handiwork, until he abruptly closed the hood with a loud shut, causing her to jump and yelp in surprise - catching Yusei's attention. "Akiza?" Blushing from embarrassment, Akiza turned her gaze to Yusei, almost as if she was seeing him for the first time. He was dressed in black denim pants, with what appeared to be oil and grease marks staining the fabric - Akiza guessed that this was part of his "other" work attire - dark brown construction boots, and a light blue, long sleeve, buttoned up shirt tied around his waist, with a white, sleeveless muscle shirt, with more grease and oil stains splattered on the fabric.

Realizing Yusei was also sweating, with his arms uncovered and, his bangs plastered to his face, Akiza blushed again; this time for an all too familiar and different reason than embarrassment. Silently, she berated herself again, _"Urgh, stop! It's not like you haven't seen him without his jacket on before! Get a hold of yourself!"_ After regaining some of her lost dignity, she apologised for not announcing herself earlier. "I'm sorry for barging in, Yusei. I didn't know where you were, and thought you might have left for your flight already - you did say Greiger mention that it was urgent - so I came here to check."

Turning her attention back to the vehicle, Yusei moved to the side, to let her through. As she walked to the car, she continued talking, "Well, that's not exactly true. When I went to the kitchen and saw the spread for me - thank you, by the way; anyhow, I was able to hear you tinkering around in here - thinking you were tuning up your duel runner, but I had no idea that you were working on _this_. I thought you said it wasn't finished? It looks pretty damn fine to me."

Rubbing the back of his neck, Akiza could see the muscles in his bicep flex, as he lifted his arm to scratch the non-existent itch there. Willing herself to focus on Yusei's eyes and words, not his sweaty, lean muscular arms, she heard Yusei say, "Well, actually, I just finished. I was at it for a couple of hours, and I just needed to double check everything, and fix something in the engine block." Akiza stared at him with wide eyed wonder, until the part where he had been at it for a couple of hours hit her. "Wait, you said you've been at this for a couple of hours… It's" - Checking the time on her phone - "almost 6:30, Yusei. How long did you sleep? We didn't get here until at least midnight."

Knowing he was going to get chewed out, instead of trying to cover it up, he just dove right in. "Honestly? Not as much as I should have. I was worried about whatever Grieger needed to see me in person about. Then there was… some stuff that Kalin talked to me about at the party that was on my mind. Finally, there was our date, and well, this. I wanted to take you out on a proper date, instead of having you ride with me on my duel runner, so I knew there wasn't much left to fix, and well, that's how I ended up here. I wanted to finish this before you woke up, and wanted to reveal it to you before our date."

Akiza was stunned into silence, unable to come up with a retort with her emotions all over the place. She was admittedly worried as well, with regarding Greiger's urgency. The only other time Akiza remembered that Greiger needed Yusei was when he and Jack went to Peru, regarding something about Jack's soul. Irritated that despite Yusei's note, he still only managed to get at the most 4 hours of sleep. She may not have been a constant in his life for eight years, but she still cared for his well being, and him getting such little sleep when he was supposed to be on a 12 hour flight was anything, but healthy. Curious as to what he and Kalin could've talked about at the party. She could only guess, but more than likely it was to vent to someone about his fling with Sherry, and his feelings for her. Finally, she felt touched that he would go out of his way, yet again for her.

When Yusei noticed she was just staring at him, he closed the distance between them, and took her hand in his, catching her attention again. Looking down into her caramel brown, amber eyes, Yusei spoke again, "I know what you're thinking, and you're right. I should have stayed in bed, and tried to go back to sleep, instead of letting all of this get to me, but I wanted our date to be a real one, and well, though I love my duel runner, it's not a very practical way of driving such a beautiful woman across the city."

She just couldn't stay mad at the man. Smiling that dazzling smile of hers, that he loved so much, she responded; "Okay, I accept your apology. But-" removing a hand from his, she poked him right in the center of his muscled chest with her forefinger and continued, "You mister better get ready for your trip. It's probably almost 7 by now, and you wouldn't want to be late for your flight, now would you? I don't think Greiger would be as forgiving as me as to accept your apology."

Letting her go, Yusei chuckled, and allowed Akiza to push him back inside, "Okay, okay I'm going. You don't need to shove me." Laughing alongside him, she let him go, and watched as he walked up the stairs to his bedroom, her eyes lingering on his behind before she couldn't see him anymore. Shaking her mind free of her thoughts on what she wanted to do with his butt, and the rest of his chiseled body, she sat at his dining room table, plopping down in one of the chairs, and waited on Yusei, tossing a grape into her mouth.

* * *

Ten minutes later, Akiza could hear Yusei as he came walking down the stairs. Shutting off the TV - there wasn't anything interesting on anyway - she turned her attention towards Yusei. Standing next to her with a duffle bag over his shoulder, was the raven-haired scientist wearing a black leather jacket, with a white undershirt, and the star necklace Akiza gifted him before she left for Germany. Trailing down to his lower body, he wore dark blue, navy denim jeans with a black belt buckled around his waist, and dark brown biker boots on his feet.

After giving him another once over, Akiza turned her attention to the duffle bag over his shoulder, and asked, "Just a duffle bag? Are you sure that's all you'll need? You are going all the way to Peru, after all." Glancing at the bag, then back to Akiza, Yusei responded, "I shouldn't be there any longer than a day - two at the most. Taking a suitcase would be rather redundant." Crossing her arms over her chest, Akiza gave him a critical look, but when Yusei stared back with equal defiance, Akiza let up, and let her arms drop. "Okay, fine. If you're sure then."

Pleased, Yusei's lips formed a grin before uttering just loud enough for Akiza to hear, as he walked to his garage, "Thanks, mom." She was just about to say, "Your welcome" when she heard Yusei's smartass retort. Turning around, she punched him in the shoulder, laughing as she replied, "You ass!" with Yusei laughing along with her. Once inside the garage, Akiza thought Yusei would be taking his duel runner, but was surprised when he pulled out a pair of keys she didn't recognize, and heard the telltale signs of a locked car's doors, unlocking. Opening the back passenger door, Yusei threw the duffle bag in the backseat. After closing the door, he opened the passenger side door, and beckoned for Akiza to come. "I was going to wait to use this for our date, but since you've already seen it, I thought, why not?"

When Akiza finally wrapped around the idea in her head that Yusei was taking them to the airport in his new car, she jumped out of her stupor, and walked right up to the door, stopping momentarily to look at Yusei. Putting a gentle hand on his shoulder, she smiled, and whispered into his ear, "Such a gentleman." Then, without taking her eyes off of him, she sat down in the passenger seat, and pulled the door towards her, closing it shut. Yusei followed suit to the driver's side, and after settling down in his new car, turned the ignition, and let the car roar to life.

* * *

After roughly five minutes, and the fastest ride of Akiza's life, the two pushed passed all the checkpoints, people in the crowds, and running across the occasional fan, before finally reaching the flight attendant's desk, awaiting to hear the departure time for Yusei's flight. After getting his ticket from the female flight attendant at the desk, he gave her his thanks, and turns towards Akiza. "Well, I guess this is it."

Chuckling lightly, Akiza brushed aside a stray hair, before replying in a dull, almost saddened tone, "Yeah, I guess so." Catching her tone, Yusei's brows bunched together as he asked her, "Akiza?" Turning up at hearing his worried tone, she shook her head, and replied, "It's nothing, Yusei. It's just… well, it's a bit ironic don't you think? It's just how things were before I left eight years ago. Except now, I'm in your place, and you're in mine." His face softened into a sympathetic smile, he took a hand of hers in his, and gave it a gentle, reassuring squeeze before responding, "Akiza, I'm not going to be gone for too long. I'll be back before you know it, there's nothing to worry over."

But that was the thing, there was a lot to worry over. Worry over how soon Yusei would be back. Worry for what's so important that Yusei had to fly out all the way to Peru to meet Greiger face to face after eight years. Worry over what the status of her relationship with Yusei will become when she tells him that she knows about him and Sherry, and that when she was in Germany, she did some things that she isn't too proud of. Taking a deep breath, she sighed heavily, and reluctantly let Yusei's hand go.

Catching his questioning look Akiza said, "That's the thing. There's a lot to be worried about Yusei. Not just about how long you'll be gone, but about other things too…" Noting the seriousness in her tone, Yusei asked her with the same fervor, "Akiza… is there… something you're not telling me? Something you want to tell me before I go?" Gazing back into his cobalt blue eyes, Akiza responded honestly, "Yes, but before you ask, no, I don't want to tell you. Not right now, not when you're just about to leave. But when you get back, we'll talk then, okay?"

Curious as to what she wanted to talk about, but knowing better than trying to push it, Yusei nodded in agreement. "Okay, we'll talk when I come back." Taking her hand in his again, he squeezed them gently, then, placed a closed mouth kiss on her forehead, before he too reluctantly let them go again. "I'll see you in a couple of days, yeah?" Grazing her fingers across his hands, her lips formed from a frown, to a small smile, and replied, "Yeah." Just then, the intercom came on, announcing that the last flight to Peru will be leaving in five minutes. Taking a last look at each other, the both of them shared a knowing, longing look, before Yusei turned around and left for his flight. Watching him go before she couldn't see him anymore, Akiza looked down at her hands, and saw Yusei's car keys lying in the palm of her hands.

* * *

After leaving the airport, instead of returning to Yusei's, Akiza went to her parents' place. Knowing that her father was most likely at work, it gave Akiza the perfect excuse to talk with her mother about her current situation with Yusei, and the dilemma she might be facing. In addition, if she does decide to stay with Yusei, long term, she'd need more clothes than what she currently has.

Standing at the front door, Akiza thought back to the last time she was here. Walking down memory lane, she remembered that it was the night before everyone went their separate ways, that she was last here. Her parents encouraging her to meet with Yusei and talk to him before she left to tell him how she feels before it was too late. And here she was again, eight years later, asking for her mother's advice on how to handle her current predicament with her raven-haired friend, who was probably-most likely, trying to sleep on the plane to Peru.

Her thoughts stopped to a halt when she heard the front door unlock and swing open to see her mother's surprised face, and then was wrapped in a crushing hug that could've rivaled Martha's. "Oh, Akiza!" Returning the loving gesture, Setsuko let go of her daughter, and ushered her inside. "Come in! Come in!" Giggling at her mother's excitement, she walked into her parents' home unsurprised that nothing looked out of place. After getting settled, Setsuko offered her daughter something to drink, but Akiza declined. Setting the plate of tea off to the side for now, Setsuko asked Akiza, "So, what brings you home Akiza? And I'm assuming it has something to do with Yusei?"

Noticing the surprise on Akiza's face, and recognizing that her daughter was about to ask her a few questions, Setsuko raised her hand to stop Akiza, so she could explain. "Oh, don't look so surprised, dear. Call it, a mother's intuition. We mothers know these things. Besides, I didn't think you'd stay at the twins place, not since you haven't seen Yusei in person for the first time since you left for Germany. So what's on your mind, honey? And don't be afraid of telling me the truth; you know you can tell me or your father anything, and anything you tell me personally will stay between us, unless it impacts your father's well being in any way."

Shocked and stunned into silence from her mother's intuition, for a moment Akiza didn't say anything, but after taking another minute to collect her thoughts, Akiza decided it was best to tell her mother everything. From her experiences in Germany, to what she's learned about Yusei from Sherry, and the shame and guilt she still harbors for her actions, and no doubt the same for Yusei. Thankfully, her mother didn't interrupt her during her recollection; Akiza didn't think she'd have it in her to repeat all of that a second time. When she was finished, Akiza was visibly distraught, shaking, and her breathing escalating to almost hyperventilation.

Setsuko too stunned for words at the moment, simply gathered her daughter in her arms, hugging her close. Whispering sweet nothings to her, while rubbing her back gently, just like she used to do when Akiza was her little rose. Akiza just allowed herself to be comforted, and she could feel the tension in her body leave her. Her shaking had stopped, and her breathing had calmed down. Wiping away the tears that hadn't fallen, she sat up, shoulder to shoulder with her mother. Setsuko, still haven't said anything regarding what Akiza had just told her, kept rubbing her daughter's back, occasionally running her fingers through her daughter's magenta-violet red hair asking, "Feel better now?"

Appreciating her mother's efforts, Akiza's frown transformed into a small smile, as she said, "A little, yeah." However, her frown returned when she further explained, "I'm worried and afraid. I know I shouldn't be, but there's this nagging little voice in the back of my head that keeps reminding me of my mistakes, and keeps telling me that the reason Yusei hasn't brought up anything is because he's-" Akiza stopped as her voice broke. Closing her eyes, reigning in her tears, she continued in almost a too small of a voice that her mother could barely make out, "Because he's moved on… Because he doesn't love me anymore… And I don't know what to do. I want to tell him-I need to tell him, but I just can't think of a way to bring it up. I don't think I could take it if he didn't return my feelings, and it would all be because we both made mistakes in moments of weakness." Burying her face in her hands, Akiza wanted to scream.

Setsuko, for her part, unfortunately didn't know how to remedy the situation. She didn't know how to help her daughter in the way that Akiza was asking for. But she figured that she could tell Akiza just what Yusei thought of her. Placing a gentle hand on her daughter's shoulder, she grabbed Akiza's attention again, and said, "I don't know how to help you, honey; not in the way that you're asking. But, if you're still unsure that Yusei doesn't feel the same for you, as you do for him, then let me tell you something. That boy-excuse me, that man-oh, the way he talked about you, how much he wished you were here, or how he wished he could be there with you. He talked about you like you were the only person in his world."

"Everyday, when he could stop by, he talked about all the little things you two would discuss over your voice chats. He thought of you all the time, Akiza. I know you don't want to hear this, and I'm sure you know it too, but it hurt him deeply when you left. Not because of the reasons you left - lord only knows that if you knew that he was hurting and you tried to come home, he'd tell you that you were doing this for you, and he wouldn't get in the way of that - but it hurt him because he longed for you. He didn't realise it until you were gone, but he had gotten used to you being around him all the time. So trust me when I say this, because I know it, Yusei loves you with all of his heart and soul."

"The same worries that are affecting you, I have no doubt he's having them too. He's just better at hiding it all. Me and your father have gotten to know him more over the years, and the one thing he doesn't want other people knowing about him, is when he's hurting. He always keeps to himself, and does anything he can to try to take his mind off of it all. He cares more about others' well being more than he does his own, and you have to fight him to get him to see that. He said the only people that could get him to open up about his feelings were Martha, his friend Kalin, and you."

Crying all over again, but for the opposite reasons, Akiza's tears turned to fits of giggles and laughter as she recalled certain memories of Martha and herself begrudging Yusei to let allow himself to open up more. Wiping away the tears, and after calming down from her giggling fit, Akiza thanked her mother, "Thanks, mom. I needed to hear that." Taking her daughter's hands in her own, Setsuko continued, "Honey, I don't know how to tell you when would be the best time to talk with Yusei, but the more you prolong it, the more difficult it'll be to be around him. I'd suggest talking to him during your date. I know that's probably not what the two of you had in mind, but it would be for the best to get everything out in the open with each other as soon as possible." Thanking her mother again, Akiza, confidently replied, "Okay. I will."

Clapping her hands together, Setsuko happily replied, "Great!" Her smile then transformed into a sly grin, as she asked Akiza, "So, tell me truthfully; have you two slept together yet?" Caught off guard from her mother's question, Akiza blushed furiously, Setsuko snickered at her reaction, exclaiming, "Mom!"

* * *

Across the city, in a large apartment building in Tops, Luna was trying desperately to wake her snoring brother. Finally having enough of not getting results, Luna left her brother's room momentarily. When she returned, she somehow came across lifting a bucket, filled with ice water. Grinning evilly, Luna dumped the entirety of the bucket's contents on top of Leo, and watched in satisfaction as her man-child, twin brother nearly jumped five feet in the air, flailing about, until he fell out of bed, and landed face first on the floor.

Obviously, angry with his sister, when Leo got up from the floor, he shouted, "What the hell, Luna!? What was that for?!" Crossing her arms over her chest, a tick formed on her forehead, as she tuned out her brother's shouting, until it got to be too much, and she whacked him upside his head, before explaining to him, "Idiot! I'm supposed to be at Duel Academy in less than ten minutes! Plus, since you seem to have forgotten; you're supposed to be at the Kaiba Dome signing up for the preliminary round of the upcoming Fortune Cup's 10th Anniversary!"

Upon realizing the truth of his sister's words, Leo immediately ignored the slight pain in the back of his head, and jumped to his feet, heading towards their bathroom, to get ready. Before Leo was out of earshot, she could hear him talking to himself about how much of a dunderhead he was being. Pinching her brows together, Luna quietly spoke to herself, "You have no idea, Leo."

* * *

Across the Daedalus Bridge, in what is now known as New Satellite, Crow was getting ready for the same event. Having spent his first day back in his foster mother's orphanage - the home in which he was taken in and raised - was a pleasant and relaxing way of returning. He really had missed this place; especially the kids he had raised and left in Martha's care. He also missed his older brother, Yusei a good deal as well.

It was a rough couple of years at first, but the pain of leaving his home, and his family behind, eventually faded away. Just knowing that they wouldn't want him skulking about when he could be chasing his dreams was enough to push him to new heights. Also the fact that, he knew that someday he would return eased his troubles. And now that he was back with his family and friends, after achieving his dreams, he's found another dream of his; to beat Yusei, and become the next King of Games, even if he has to go through the likes of Leo, and his other older brother - the World King - Jack Atlas.

Slipping on his black and orange helmet, and sliding the visor down his eyes, Crow grinned, his eyes set on the horizon, then shouted to the sky, in the direction of New Domino, "Get ready, Yusei! Because Crow-The Bullet-Hogan is coming your way!"

* * *

Back in the city, exiting one of Tops most prestigious hotels, was none other than The World Turbo Duelling King - Jack Atlas. Unlike his friends and families eight years ago, Jack was the only one at the time that had already figured out what he wanted to do with his life. He was also the only one, at that time, that wanted to leave New Domino City. Believing that he had accomplished all he could in New Domino, he didn't want to be shackled down any longer, and wanted to pursue a duelling career that spanned the world.

He wanted to let everyone know that he was the one and only Jack Atlas, and that he was the only one worthy of being a true king. However, it wasn't just his friends and family he had to leave behind. There was another he felt he had to remove himself from to chase his dreams; Carly Carmine. She was a distraction - a pleasant distraction he might add - but a distraction nonetheless. Thinking back now, Jack knew he could've handled his departure a little better.

He often thought of the goofy reporter when he was travelling the world. He thought of his friends and family too, but the person he thought of the most was _her_. For a long time things were tense between the two, when he tried to reconnect with her. But eventually, the awkwardness and rough edges faded, and they were back to what they were before; just more mature and different than before. However, now that he was back, he wanted more, and he knew she did too.

For the moment, however, Jack's thoughts drifted to the one other person he thought of the most; his younger brother, Yusei Fudo. Jack understood the reasons why Yusei wanted to stay. After learning everything about what had happened in the original timeline, it made sense that Yusei's duelling would take a back seat, while he worked on saving the city, just as his birth parents did before him. But that didn't stop Jack's thoughts of finally becoming the One True King, and he knew that if he wanted to achieve that dream, he would need to remove Yusei from the throne.

Clenching his fist at his side, Jack gazed up at the Kaiba Dome, and declared to himself, and to Yusei, _"Whether you're ready or not, I'm coming, for you."_

* * *

After a gruelling, and exhausting flight, Yusei finally arrived in Peru. Wasting zero time, he contacted Greiger, and the two met in Greiger's home village. Getting a good look at the older man, Yusei could see that he was still the same muscular brute he was eight years ago. The only noticeable difference was the age lines on his face had grown more pronounced, and his hair was sporting grey hairs. After exchanging pleasantries with one another, the two men left Greiger's village in a jeep that Yusei rented, and made the trek to the Quechua Temple where the missing research team was last found.

Along the way, Yusei's thoughts kept drifting off to his last moments with Akiza just a number of hours ago. He had an inkling of what she wanted to talk to him about, but when she broached the subject, she was tense and uncomfortable. Something was wrong, that much he could tell. If she knew about his fling with Sherry, but still decided to stay with him, and still wanted to go on a date with him, then she wasn't angry with him about that. Which only raises further questions, that left little answers. The only conclusion Yusei could muster was that she also had something that she wasn't very proud of being kept secret, and the possible repercussions that could arise if told.

Noticing Yusei's lack of interest in the subject that brought him all the way out here in the first place, Greiger - from the driver's seat - asked in his deep, gruff voice, "Yusei, we've been on the road for almost half an hour, and you haven't said anything, nor have you asked about the reason why I called you here. I can tell something's on your mind. What's troubling you? Maybe letting someone know what you're thinking could help."

Caught off guard, and broken from his train of thought, Yusei pondered if he should tell Greiger his troubles. He didn't want others involved, but he knew that Greiger's words held some weight of truth. Releasing a sigh, Yusei decided it wouldn't hurt to get another person's opinion. Retelling the story he told to Kalin, without getting into too much detail, Yusei retold Greiger the same doubts and fears he told to Kalin, along with his new suspicions regarding Akiza's behaviour right before he left.

For his part, Greiger was silent for some time, collecting his thoughts, then taking a few more moments to explain them. "I only have a single thing to ask of you, Yusei. Do you love this woman?" Looking back at the muscular giant, Yusei didn't have to think to come up with his answer. "Yes, I do." Nodding his head in understanding, Greiger then asked, "And there is nothing that you wouldn't do for her?" Again, Yusei replied just as quickly as the last time, "Of course." Greiger hummed a response, then looked back to Yusei, and said, "Then, I think you have your answer, Yusei."

Acknowledging the truth of Greiger's words, Yusei uttered only a single word, "Thanks." Looking back at the younger man for a long moment, then turning his gaze back to the road ahead, Greiger continued, "It's nothing; I'm sure you'd do the same for me." Before Yusei could come up with a response, the jeep came to a sudden stop, with Greiger saying, "We're here." Getting out of the passenger side of the vehicle, throwing his duffel bag over his shoulder, Yusei gazed at the large ruined temple, before turning his attention to the older man, asking him, "So what was so important that you felt the need to have me fly all the way out here?" Taking a large supply bag out of the back seat of the jeep, and tossing it over his large, broad shoulders, Greiger walked alongside Yusei as the two men entered the large structure, and said, "You'll see."

* * *

Once inside, Greiger took a torch sconce off the wall, and lit it aflame, allowing the two men to better see and navigate the Temple. As Greiger lead the way, Yusei could no doubt see signs that showed that people had indeed been here, and recently, but there were no bodies to speak of. Glancing back at his companion, Greiger explained, "Some time ago, scholars from some other country were asking the Quechua village Elders permission if they could excavate one of their temples for research. My village often communes and trades with them, so when they agreed, I volunteered and pointed them to this location."

Reaching around a corner, Greiger and Yusei came across the same hidden pathway the researchers before them had found. Stepping through the empty doorway, the two men descended the steps and continued their journey and conversation. "A couple of weeks ago, the team broke ground and discovered this hidden pathway. The elders, nor I knew of this passage. If we had, we wouldn't have sent them here." Noticing Greiger's grim tone, Yusei asked, "Based on your tone, whatever they found wasn't good?"

Shaking his head, Greiger muttered in a darker tone than before, "No, worse…" Leaving it off there at the end, Yusei didn't push any further. As the two ventured further down into the bowels of the lost temple, Yusei realized the darker it seemed to get, until finally, they reached the inner chamber of the deepest part of the temple, and what Yusei saw, shook him to his core.

Discarded clothing and scattered weapons littered the space in front of the two men. The smell of dried blood and death was in the air, and there was an everlasting chill around the room. However, there were no bodies to speak of. Virtually nothing but their belongings were left behind. Putting a hand to his nose and mouth, Yusei knelt to a knee inspecting the strange symbols on the temple floor, when Greiger lit the flames of the torch sconces in the room. Stumbling back to his feet, Yusei was shocked beyond belief that the images of the stone slabs on the floor were identical to the Signer Dragons in Team 5D's possession.

However, as Yusei took a closer look, they weren't _exactly _the same. Though they appeared to be the same, all of the dragons bore markings on their bodies. _"They look like…!"_ It was then that Yusei recognized the markings; they were the markings of the Crimson Dragon. As Yusei was postulating theories of this discovery, Greiger called him over towards the center chamber. Standing beside the larger man, Yusei looked at the floor beneath him and was even further surprised.

There were four other stone slabs, depicting dragons that Yusei had never seen before. But in the center, was a dragon Yusei was all too familiar with; The Crimson Dragon. Baffled beyond belief, Yusei took a closer look, and just like with the identical twins of the Signer Dragons, this slab depicted a dragon that was _similar_ to the Crimson Dragon, but there was something _off_ about it. The etching on the slab was old and worn, but Yusei could make out the faintest hint of some kind of aura around the Dragon. While the Crimson Dragon's aura was one of life and light; this dragon's appeared to be something dark and sinister.

Taking all of this in, Yusei slowly rose to his feet when he glanced towards Greiger's direction. The large man was inspecting a much larger slab at the far end of the wall, depicting a much more colossal dragon, nothing of which Yusei or he has ever seen before. However, the slab seemed to have been broken at some point, and after inspecting the debris, Greiger, without looking back at Yusei, said in a loud and booming tone, "From what I can see over here, and based on the positions of the clothing and discarded weaponry, the researchers must have thought this wall was some sort of hidden door to treasure or knowledge, and broke into it from this side; however, _something, or someone_ was accidentally released, and the rest…. Seems self explanatory after that."

Taking his place by Greiger's side again, Yusei had to ask, "Why did you call me here, Greiger? What aren't you telling me?" Sighing from his kneeling position, he tossed a rock into the room, before standing to his full height, towering over Yusei. Looking at the younger man in the eye, Greiger spoke, "Yusei, I didn't lie to you when I said that I needed you here to see this. And I'm sure you're aware of the eerily similar depictions of the dragons on those slabs are nearly identical to you and your friends' Signer Dragons. The truth is, I don't know _what _these things are, or _who _was sealed away inside that wall. The only thing I'm certain of is that it's all connected to the Crimson Dragon; one way or another. I called you here because whatever did all of _this_ is somehow connected to the Crimson Dragon, and in that sense, though you and your friends are no longer Signers, each of you still possess the Crimson Dragon's allies and servants. Because of that, there is a very strong and likely possibility that sooner, or later…"

Greiger was cut off as Yusei was finally able to connect the dots, "Sooner, or later, whatever came out of that whole will be hunting us down…" With a grim expression, Greiger nodded, "Exactly. I didn't want to discuss this over the phone because that… _thing_ could have been listening in, and would have probably attacked you and the others much sooner than it anticipated. Though there is nothing much here to go on, finding out where it came from, and who it might be connected to would certainly give you an advantage."

Understanding Greiger's logic and reason, Yusei nodded his head in agreement, then turned his back to the older man, and began making the trek back to the outside, calling over his shoulder, "Thanks for the tip, but if I'm going to be of any help to my friends; I'll need to get back to the city as soon as possible."

* * *

The trek back to the jeep, and to the airport was met with silence; both men contemplating what they both saw within the tomb beneath the temple. Greiger offhandedly commented that the reason there were no bodies to speak of, was because they might have had their souls taken from them, and their withered husky shells of their bodies crumbled to dust over time, due to the odd flakey remains next to each pair of discarded clothes and weapons on the floor. The substance of the dirt on the floor wasn't the same as the "dirt" next to the piles of clothes and makeshift weapons; that much Greiger was sure.

Humming in response, Yusei didn't say anything further, his brilliant mind a million miles away. His thoughts drifted to his friends, and family. How would he tell them that they were all in danger, yet again? And this time they didn't have the powers of the Crimson Dragon at their backs. They only had each other this time around. Would it be enough? It would have to be. His thoughts then ventured to a certain redheaded beauty. What would she make of this? Would she leave his home to protect him? Would she stay away from her parents to protect them? Would she want to talk about this too?

Yusei didn't have much time left to think, because the jeep came to a sudden stop once again. Looking up from the window, Yusei saw that Greiger had driven him all the way back to the airport. _"Where did the time go? Just a moment ago we were just leaving, but now… Nevermind, you have enough things to worry about right now…"_ As Yusei grabbed his duffel bag from the back of the vehicle, he shared a look with Greiger, both silently thanking the other, before Yusei closed the door, and started walking back through the airport, when he turned around and was about to ask about returning the jeep, when Greiger answered for him, "Don't worry about it, Yusei. I'll take care of it; you just make sure you take care of _your _problem, before it gets mixed up in all of this other business."

Smiling, and giving a thumbs up in Greiger's direction, the larger man drove off in the other direction, while Yusei ventured back to the inside of the airport building, mentally thanking Greiger for reminding him that his choices he makes and the path he chooses are his own.

* * *

_The Next Day_…

It wasn't until late afternoon did Yusei return to New Domino, and when he came back he was feeling much lighter and much more relaxed than he had been before he left. Sure, he was troubled about the unsettling and frankly, disturbing sights that he saw inside the inner chamber of the temple, and was worried about what was sealed behind _that_ door, not to mention the connection to the Crimson Dragon; however, his current attention was on a certain person in mind - a person that was in fact, in a crowd of people waiting for him. As she caught sight of him, she raised her hand and waved ecstatically. _"She must be feeling better about herself too. She was pretty tense when I left. Looks like we both needed some time to think."_

Pushing through the crowd, Yusei met Akiza half way, then wrapped her arms around him in a bone crushing hug that reminded him of Martha. Returning the hug, the two separated from one another, but stayed within an arm's reach. When Yusei was able to get a good look at her, his eyes nearly doubled in size and his mouth dropped. She was wearing her old victorian style corset and dress that she used to wear when they were teenagers. Catching his surprised stare, her cheeks heated up, blushing a deep red. Turning her head away from Yusei's gaze, she brushed a strand of her magenta-violet red hair behind her ear, and dropped her hands to her waist, clasping them together, which unintentionally pushed her chest out more. "Stop it, Yusei; you're making me blush."

After taking a moment to gather himself, Yusei brought himself out of his reverence, and tried speaking, but found himself stuttering. "I-I… y-you're…. Just wow!" If it was possible, Akiza blushed even more; from both Yusei's admiration and his stuttering. She had never heard _that_ from him before! He was always so confident. To be able to make _him_ stutter with just a look made her heart swell with excitement, pride and joy. Once she seemed to calm down a bit, she turned her head back to focus on Yusei. Twiddling with her thumbs, Akiza shyly asked, "Do you like it? I figured… for our first date, I'd go a little 'old school', but with some of my own flair added to it. I also thought that since you probably don't want to rest when you came back… you would want to go out as soon as possible? Unless-!"

Putting his hands on her shoulders gently, he squeezed them reassuringly. Smiling, Yusei replied, "I'd love to, Akiza, but first things first; we should stop by my place, so I can get cleaned up, and then we can go out, okay?" Beaming with happiness and excitement, Akiza joyfully responded, "Yes!" Catching the unwanted attention of passersby, Akiza blushed from embarrassment, and apologized. "Sorry. What I meant to say was, that sounds great, Yusei. Oh! Before I forget, here is your keys!"

Reaching into her purse, she rummaged through the bag, muttering about how she couldn't find it, while Yusei just watched her. Taking a moment, he was able to get a better look at Akiza's dress, and noticed slight changes she must have made for their date. There were dark, forest green vines intricately engraved into the golden bands on her dark, violet red, fingerless, elbow length gloves. The same intricate detail was also woven and stitched into the white cuffs and rimmed into the collar of her corset. He also noticed two black roses, stitched into the corners of her corset, one on each. But the most notable change was the intricately designed white rose stitched and woven onto the black piece of the corset, right above where her heart would be.

Trailing his eyes back to Akiza's face. She was wearing her hair down, instead of her usual bun, and wasn't wearing her old hair ornament - she didn't need it anymore anyway - nor was she wearing a hairband; thus letting her hair fall freely down the sides of her face, her bangs combed behind her ears. When Akiza finally managed to pull Yusei's keys out of her purse she triumphantly exclaimed, "Yes!" Not caring about the suspicious glances from the other people in the waiting room. Holding out her hand, she was about to hand Yusei his car keys, when she caught the way he was looking at her, more specifically, the white rose on her corset, that she and her mother helped design into the dress - that and all the other new additions to her old clothes - she said, "Yuse- Oh! _That!_ Um, well… I… uh…like I said earlier, I wanted to go old school, but… I wanted to… add something to it… so mom helped me-mmmph!"

Try as she might to come with an answer, Akiza was abruptly interrupted, when Yusei swooped down and claimed her lips with his. Immediately, Akiza's mind went blank, and her eyes closed, as she melted into Yusei's embrace - his arms placed modestly on her waist, pulling her closer. Likewise, Akiza's hands fisted into Yusei's shirt, clutching and pulling him towards her, as she kissed back with just as much fervor. Unfortunately, however, it all came to an end too soon for her, as Yusei stepped back, just far enough away that his lips were out of reach, yet his head pressed to hers. Letting out a whine and moan, Akiza tried to reclaim his lips, even going as far as standing on her toes, but he wouldn't have it; instead, he placed a finger on her lips to stop her.

Biting her bottom lip, Akiza stepped back onto her heels, adopting an adoringly cute pout. However, Yusei had a will of steel, and wouldn't be swayed. Smiling - not smirking - he explained, "Sorry. I saw the white rose placed above your heart, and all I could think about in that moment was, _'She's the one. My one and only'_, and I just lost control, and kissed you in the middle of a crowded airport, with people - fans and most likely the press - all staring at us…" All Akiza heard was, _"She's the one. My one and only" _and for a moment, Akiza's breath hitched, her heart pounded in her chest, and her loins tingle with excitement. But all of that came crashing down and came to an abrupt halt when she heard the last of which Yusei had to say. Sharing a knowing look, the two former Signers bolted out of the building, heading straight for the parking lot, with a mob of paparazzi and fans stampeding behind them.

* * *

After they were able to reach Yusei's car, the two were able to quickly escape the growing mob of people chasing them, and were on their way back to Yusei's home. As the drive continued, Yusei drove at a slower place than the last time; enjoying the time with Akiza. They talked about what had happened while he was away. Akiza told him she went to her parents' house to talk with them and reconnect after so many years apart. Unfortunately, her father was away for work - which she understood was important; not like when she was younger - and enjoyed spending time alone with her mother.

It allowed the two of them to have much needed "Girl Talk" in which Akiza ommitted to telling Yusei about her talk with her mother about the so called "status" of her's and Yusei's relationship; wanting to wait until they were on their date. Instead, she talked about how her mother constantly used every opportunity she had to tease Akiza about staying over with Yusei, earning a genuine laugh from the raven-haired man.

Likewise, Yusei told Akiza of his time in Peru, and told her how hot it was. When asked about why he had to go in the first place, his expression turned grim for only a moment, and he would only tell her that it was indeed an emergency, but he wouldn't elaborate more on the subject; figuring that he would tell her after their date, she resigned from asking any further questions about that particular subject. Yusei also did not tell Akiza of his brief conversation with Greiger regarding himself and Akiza; like her, he wanted to wait until their date. However, after their public display of affection for one another, the two would be hard pressed to find a private place for just the two of them. When Yusei relayed this to Akiza, she at first thought that they would have to cancel, which _did not _sit well with her - most likely Yusei as well - until she had an idea, and suggested they stayed at his place.

Although Yusei wanted to take Akiza out for their first time - after all, he wanted to have their first date to be a _real _date - he also knew that Akiza wouldn't really care where he took her out, just as long as she was with him. With that in mind, he agreed to her suggestion, and for good reason; because as soon as he agreed, they had reached his home.

* * *

Opening his front garage door, Yusei parked the car inside, and turned off the ignition, then closed the garage door behind them. Exiting the vehicle, Akiza was about to open the passenger side door, but was stopped when Yusei placed a free hand on her arm. Just as she was about to ask, Yusei interrupted, "Allow me." Confusion written on her face, it wasn't until Yusei exited from his side of the car before realization dawned on her. She watched as Yusei walked around the front of the car, then stopped at her side of the door before opening it.

With a hand held out, Yusei politely asked her, "If I may?" Smiling at him, she reached her hand out, grasping onto him, as he gently lead her out of the car. Commenting, Akiza replied, "Such a gentleman." A few minutes later, Akiza and Yusei were inside his home. Akiza let go of Yusei's hand and walked towards the kitchen, placing her purse on the countertop, then immediately went to Yusei's fridge and started pulling various foods out and placing them on the table.

Yusei, however, was stunned for a moment, his eyes, against his will, travelled the length of her back, and settled on her legs, then drifted upwards again, lingering on her butt, as she bent over to pick something up from the bottom of the refrigerator. She had filled out more over the years, her curves becoming fuller, and her legs had developed more muscle too. Despite himself, Yusei's male pheromones couldn't waste the opportunity to gaze at her shapely body, and before he knew it, _his _body had very peculiar reaction-one centered below his belt.

Suppressing a groan, Yusei shifted his body so that his erection wasn't as visible to Akiza as it was to him. His mind riddled with fantasies of he wanted right now was definitely hunger, but his appetite had nothing to do with food. Instead of indulging in these fantasies, Yusei distracted himself with asking Akiza what she was doing. "Um, Akiza? I know this sounds like a stupid question, but what exactly are doing, digging through my fridge?"

Standing at her full height, she hummed to herself, mumbling that this would do, before turning to face Yusei. The action caused her breasts to jiggle a little, and Yusei had to use every ounce of his self control to not jump over his kitchen counter and take her, claiming her as his, right on the kitchen floor as he spotted the white rose emblazoned on the piece of her corset covering her heart. Willing himself to calm down, and berating himself for acting like a horny teenage boy, he focused on what Akiza was saying, "Well, isn't it obvious? We can't go out after our _spectacle_; not if we want to deal with the questions all night, and since you need to get cleaned up, I thought would be best if I made dinner."

All previous thoughts of ravishing Akiza until she screamed his name at the top of her lungs as he brought her over the edge time and again came to a stop. Instead, he focused on what she had said, and replied, "Akiza, you don't have to do that… You're my guest, and you shouldn't have to make us dinner. If anything-". However, Akiza wasn't having any of it this time, and put her hand to Yusei's lips; effectively shutting him up. Moving her hand away, she spoke again, "If anything, I want to do it, Yusei. You've been on two gruelling flights back to back in less than 24 hours, and based on your facial expression when I asked what was the reason why you needed to go to Peru in first place, plus your response that it was an urgent emergency, you needed a break. So, now that that's cleared up, the food should be ready when you're done with your shower, so go get cleaned up, and I'll be waiting for you with dinner, okay?"

Stunned at how much she cared for his well being, instead of heading straight upstairs, he crossed over the kitchen, walked around the counter, and hugged Akiza from behind. Startled, she turned around to ask what caused this on, when Yusei interrupted her with a chaste kiss, slow and sensual, before breaking away, whispering to her, "Thank you." And with that, he left Akiza bewildered and a little breathless.

* * *

30 minutes later, Yusei came down the steps all fresh and cleaned up. Walking into the kitchen, Yusei could see Akiza setting up the table. Noticing his shadow in the room, Akiza was about to greet Yusei, when her throat went as dry as the Sahara. He looked just like he did the first time she had seen him, all those years ago in the Daimon Area of New Domino. But there were noticeable changes. For one, besides the obvious changes over the years, his jacket wasn't the same as his older one. It was a dark blue and rimmed in black, like the old one, but it lacked the amber gem pads, and reached down to his wrists, instead of just his elbows.

She immediately recognized the shirt. It was the same one he used to wear back then; a black, sleeveless, muscle shirt, with an odd and intricate red design. Next were his pants and boots. Just like his jacket, they reminded her of his clothes from when he was younger, but they also didn't adopt the amber gem pads that his jacket had. Instead, his pants were black denim, and his boots were a dark brown, reminding her instead of the clothes he wore that night she stopped by Poppo Time. That's when she knew, he was adopting her, "old school" look, and she had to admit, he looked just as handsome, if not more so than he did back then.

'Wow, yourself, Yusei. You cleaned up nicely, and just in time too, the food is ready, and I just finished setting up the table." Flashing a smile, he helped her with preparing the food, and replied, "Great. Now let's eat."

* * *

Their "At Home Dinner Date" went smoothly. Having talked about what Akiza did during his time in Peru on the drive here, they opted to talk about everything that had happened between the two of them during their time separated, and what the others had been up to during that time as well. But both of them knew that this was just small talk, and that what they both _really_ wanted to talk about, but were both still nervous and apprehensive about sharing it with the other, until eventually, surprisingly, it was Akiza who first spoke.

The both of them cleaned up the dining room and kitchen, before making their way to the couch in the living room, sitting beside each other, but leaving enough breathing room for the other, just in case. Taking a deep breath, Akiza mustered all of her courage, and turned to face Yusei, when he hadn't said anything. Yusei in turn, looked back at her, battling with himself if he should speak up first, or not. Turns out, he didn't have to wait long. "Yusei, I… there's something that I need to tell you… something that I've been wanting to tell you since I came back, but… never had the nerve, nor courage to tell you…. Not, until now."

Staring at her with the same courage and conviction that was in her voice, Yusei responded with the same statement he had told her when she not-so-subtle and very vaguely expressed her love for him. "Me too, Akiza." Knowing what he meant by that sentiment, Akiza exhaled her breath, glad that Yusei did want to tell her what she already knew; he just didn't know how to express it. That made two of them. "But before I… get into it, I need to tell you something… something about you… I _know_…"

For a long moment, Yusei just stared at her, his eyes widening in understanding. And yet, he didn't look away from her. He didn't stand up abruptly and shout in anger. He didn't accuse her, or Sherry of trusting him enough to tell her. But still, he had said nothing. And for awhile, Akiza didn't know if he was going to explode when she least expected it, but as he turned his gaze away from her, and his shoulders sagged as his face fell, she didn't have to. Quitely, so quiet it was hard enough to hear he stated, "She told you…"

Looking at him now, Akiza's chest tightened, and she could feel tears pricking at the edges of her eyes. He sounded so _defeated _and _ashamed_, just as Sherry knew he would feel, when she told Akiza in the first place. She wanted to pull him into her, hug him to her chest and never let go. To tell him, she understands what he went through, and that he has nothing to be ashamed of. But she also knew that not only did she have to relay to him what she has told both Sherry and her mother, Yusei has to come to terms with this himself, and so, for now, she didn't do anything, but wait him out.

It wasn't long before Yusei pulled his head back up, and Akiza could have sworn she might have even seen a single tear fall from his cheek. But she didn't have long to ponder if that actually happened, or if it was a trick of the room's lighting and her imagination - she hoped it was the latter - because Yusei spoke again, and what he said surprised her, "I figured that might have happened…"

Turning to face her again, he continued when she just stared at him, "It was during the flight over to Peru. I had a long time to go over our last moments before I boarded the plane, and you seemed tense and nervous. I knew that there shouldn't have been nothing to worry about, but I could tell you were worried about _something_. Then there was the way you had said that we needed to talk, and the way your body language was… well, _different_ around me than it was before. That's when I suspected that Sherry must have told you about us; I'm guessing it was at the reunion party. Was that the reason why you wanted to talk to me up on the balcony that day?"

Stunned into silence, Akiza could only watch with eyes wide, as she heard Yusei deduce her every emotion during the day he left, and was equally surprised, and just as shocked when he asked her, knowingly, that that was the precise reason why she wanted to speak to him. Gulping the lump of fear in her throat; fearful that Yusei might get mad at her, she swallowed as best as she could, and shakingly replied, "Yes…"

But instead of what she expected, Yusei smiled. He actually smiled! It wasn't his usual smile, the one with genuine delight she loved so much, nor was it the smirking or grinning kind of smile he always seems to have because of the ever constant frown he normally has, but it was a smile nonetheless. Reaching out a hand, his clasped over hers, and gently squeezed. Staring into her big, brown eyes, he said - still smiling, "I'm not angry; with either of you. I'm sure the guilt was eating at her too. She's not as close as you and me are, but she does consider you a friend, and knows how much I care about you. She wouldn't do anything to ever intentionally bring you harm, and I understand her reasons. She needed someone else to know, and sometimes that's the best thing to do."

Akiza felt as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders and could finally breathe again. However, that was short lived when she realized she still had more to tell Yusei, but first, she had to ask about the informative, yet cryptic way he spoke, "You… might want to hold off on not being angry with me… but first, I have to know, what did you mean by 'You understand', and 'Sometimes telling someone else of your secrets is the best thing to do'?"

Of course, Akiza understood that very well too. After talking to her mother, and retelling her the same thing she told Sherry, Akiza did feel better, a lot in fact; she only felt nervous now because it wasn't Sherry-her friend, or Setsuko-her mother she was talking to now. It was Yusei-her confidante, her best friend, her crush, and her love. But did that mean Yusei had spoken to someone else? It had to have been, but who could he have-!

Before Yusei had a chance to speak, Akiza interrupted, "Wait, Greiger? You… told… Greiger?" Yusei was curious about what she meant about "holding off", but that curiosity was replaced with something akin to fear when she asked about what he meant. However, when Akiza figured it out, she didn't sound angry, in fact she sounded… curious. Not knowing how to exactly respond, Yusei bit the bullet, and told her the truth. "Yeah, I did. I wanted to tell you first Akiza, I really did, but Greiger wasn't the first. That day of the reunion, on the balcony… I also spoke to Kalin. He told me that I didn't do anything wrong. I mean, we weren't… you and I… we weren't in a relationship at the time; we weren't a couple… but I still felt guilty and ashamed… Kalin told me that it was natural for these things to happen… he spoke about how I was the strongest person I knew… but I'm still human… and humans aren't perfect; we make mistakes… and if I wanted to rectify my mistake… I needed to talk to you, and tell you."

"That was why I was on my way inside, when I bumped into and got the call from Greiger shortly afterwards. But I didn't want to discuss it there; I wanted to tell you in private, just the two of us with no interruptions. That's one of the reasons why i asked you out. That day when I left, I was worried that… maybe you already knew… based on what I had mentioned before… Knowing that likely possibility… honestly, it scared me… Ever since _that _day, I thought about you constantly, and I'd speak to your parents; talk to them about you… You were always on my mind, Akiza, but… the stress from work… from my studies and projects… from my duelling career, and if I'm still the King… between the fans and the press… I just-"

Placing a gentle hand on Yusei's shoulder, he stopped his rambling and ranting, and looked Akiza dead in the eye, and saw the unshed tears threatening to fall, and the unspoken love between them. Blinking and wiping her tears away, Akiza replied - now knowing for certain what her mother had said was the truth - "Yusei… stop. You don't have to explain to me… I already knew…" Gathering her courage from earlier, she placed her waiting hand on top of Yusei's -the one holding her other hand - and continued, "When I went to my mother's… I told her about my experiences in Germany… so… I _know_, Yusei… But now… now that you've told me… I need to tell you… to tell you the same thing I told her and Sherry…"

"Like you… I thought of you constantly in Germany… The talks we would have over the computer… the phone… it was such a relief to hear you… to see you, even when you were thousands of miles away… But like you… I'm not perfect, and I made mistakes… The hours there, the pressure, the work, my studies… it all came to be too much, and the stress of it all finally got to me…"

The unshed tears began pooling again as she began retelling her story, but she didn't stop. She had to _needed _to tell Yusei, if they had any chance to let go of their past mistakes, and become a real couple, something that the both of them had wanted for years. Yusei wanted to wipe away her tears, but he knew that she needed to do this, and so, he waited patiently, listening and never interrupting; one of the many things that Akiza loved about him…

"Some friends of mine there would always try to get me to go out with them, and everytime I'd tell them politely no… But this time… I said… yes… I just needed something… anything to try to relieve the stress, so we went out for drinks… I wasn't new to drinking alcohol, but I never did it all the time… and was never the partying type… Anyway, after getting to the party… and a couple of drinks… They were stronger than what I was used to… and was about to head home… until I bumped into someone…"

Yusei could already tell where this story was going, and to his credit, he didn't lash out, nor did he push her away. But there was a feeling in his stomach; a feeling that must have felt when she first heard that Sherry and Yusei had been together for a time. He felt _sick_. Uncomfortably sick, like his heart had plummeted to his intestines and he was going to puke it all up, but he stayed strong for her; for Akiza. Because she had done the same for him, and he would always repay her in kind. Swallowing the bile that threatened to escape, Akiza shakingly continued her story.

"Afterwards… he… we…" Unable to continue with that trail of thought; Akiza shook her head, her magenta-burgundy red hair whipping around, making a mess of her gorgeous mane, her stained mascara and make-up smudged her face as her tears fell without her consent. And yet, Yusei had yet to push her away. Sure he _was _angry, but not at her. At himself. If he hadn't been so caught up in his work, and all the bullshit that came with being New Domino's King, and the prodigal son of Dr. and Mrs. Fudo; the man that conceived the Fortune Mainframe, there might have been a chance that all of their misfortunes wouldn't have had to come to pass. But Yusei knew that dwelling on past mistakes was never a good idea, and so, placing his other hand over Akiza's, he squeezed their held hands together, and pressed his forehead to hers, stopping her tears, and catching her attention.

"Akiza… I don't think of you any differently than you do to me. If that's what this is all about, you can stop, if you want. We're human, and we're bound to make mistakes. But that's just one part of the human experience; learning from our mistakes. The bond we share; _that _can never be broken. I'm going to tell you what you really wanted to say to me, all those years ago in Poppo Time's Garage. I _love you_, Akiza. I have for a long time. Just because we've both made mistakes over the years, that hasn't changed the way I feel about you, and, if you're willing, we can rectify those mistakes, _together_."

Akiza just stared back into Yusei's big, blue eyes. She couldn't believe that this man still loved her,has _always_ loved her. New tears, not of guilt, or shame, but of love and affection pooled at the edges of her eyes, and spilled over her flushed cheeks. Removing his hands from her own, Yusei reached up, and framed them around Akiza's face, brushing and wiping away her tears. She huffed out a laugh, saying, "This wasn't how I imagined this would go… Ugh, I look like such a mess."

Reaching up, she took hold of Yusei's hands and gently laid them down. Once she was able to calm herself down, she returned her attention to Yusei and said, "Yusei, what you just said, that means the world to me, and I would be more than willing to be with you, but I haven't told you everything, and that isn't fair, so…" Akiza explained everything after _that_ ordeal. How she felt about herself, and how she vowed never to do that again. She also explained how it pushed her to become curious of the same sex, and how she had experimented once with her friends. Yusei teased her that it was because she blushed the first time they had met Sherry, when the french blonde winked at her. Playfully, she punched Yusei in the shoulder, and told him to shut it - though she would be lying if she had said it wasn't true. And though she admitted that the experience wasn't as bad as her last encounter, she was more than sure now that she was attracted to men; in particular, just one man - which led her to explain the most embarrassing part of her tale…

The surprise and shock present on Yusei's facial features was something she expected to happen. What she didn't expect was the full blown blush that spread. She had seen him blush only a handful of times, and none of them were this intense. She'd have called this a personal achievement - it was very difficult to surprise him, let alone make him blush like a little boy with his hand caught in the cookie jar - but given the circumstances… it wasn't exactly something she was proud of. It was a while before either of them spoke, but the silence was broken when Yusei coughed. "Ahem, uh… so… is there anything else?" Akiza jumped, then replied, "Huh? Oh! Um… no actually… I think that's all…"

The two sat in continued silence, until Yusei spoke again. "This must be the weirdest first date in history, huh?" Akiza giggled and replied, "Yeah, you could say that, but I wouldn't have it changed either way." Feeling a little bold, bolder and braver than she has ever felt before, Akiza twisted her body, so she was right next to Yusei, their thighs rubbing up against each other. She then shifted herself, throwing one leg over Yusei's lap, and settling herself down on top of him. Catching Yusei by surprise, again, she placed his hands above her waist, and when he was about to speak, she shushed him with a finger to his lips.

Pressing her forehead against his, she brought her lips a hair's breadth away from his own, and told him what she's been wanting to say ever since his declaration and admission of his love for her, "Yusei… before you ask, if this is going too fast… I just want to tell you, that I've had a crush on you since I was 16, I was in love with you since I was 18, and for the past 8 years I've longed for you, and thought of you just as you have for me… I don't want to wait a second longer." Yusei, staring back into her brown eyes, saw how serious she was, and in that moment, he knew he didn't want to wait anymore than she did. "Good…"

His hands slid up her body, feeling her shiver at his touch, he framed her face once more, and pulled her closer, their eyes locked, half lidded, and ready to close - their lips barely touching, but unfortunately, fate was fickle being, and chose this moment to interrupt the lovers' embrace. Just before their lips locked, there was a loud, booming knock coming from Yusei's front door, which jolted Akiza and Yusei to groan in frustration. Just once, he'd like it if the world outside would leave him and his friends alone. Akiza, giggling at Yusei's frustration, whispered into his ear, "Better luck next time." Leering at her, he caught her wrist when she jumped off of him, catching her attention. Grinning wickedly, he pulled her back into his lap, and whispered, huskily back, "Don't think that this is over." Smirking just as wickedly back to him, she replied seductively, "Oh… you can count on it…"

Pulling him up, she continued,now speaking normally, "But before all that, you might want to answer who's at the door, before they break it down." Running a hand through his hair, Yusei obliged, with Akiza following him to his front door. Though she enjoyed teasing Yusei, she too was frustrated on the inside. It seemed like every chance that she and Yusei could be alone together, something would always come up. Fate really was a bitch.

Opening the door, both Yusei and Akiza were surprised to see Trudge there. "Trudge? What are you doing here?" The large, burly man looked as if he had just ran through a marathon. His breathing was erratic and sweat dripped from his brow. Catching his breath, he asked, "Are you alright, I tried calling you several times, but there was no answer. I thought he had gotten to you, so I came here as fast as I could." Opening the door wider, Trudge was able to see Akiza, and his brain clicked, realizing that Yusei and Akiza were probably on a date, and that's why he didn't answer.

Letting the officer inside, both Akiza and Yusei were curious as to what Trudge meant by the _he _ in his story. Getting the older man a glass of water, everyone settled into the living room. When Trudge was able to calm down, Yusei spoke first, "Trudge… what did you mean before; about 'he might have gotten to me'?" Releasing a sigh, Trudge knew he that what he was about to say could jeopardize Yusei's relationship with Akiza, and could potentially harm them both, given their shared history with the subject of why he was here, but it was too important and irresponsible to not tell them, so biting the bullet, he went all in. "There's no easy way to say this, so I'll just say it. Sayer's escaped the Facility."

* * *

_Elsewhere…_

Sayer, draped in a dark cloak, with half of his face obscured by a mask, and the other half hidden beneath the dark hood, all but one of his green, emerald eyes, gazed at the card in his hand. It was a Synchro Monster, a dragon he had never laid eyes on before. Staring at the card, his mind drifted back to his conversation with the dark figure that had given him the powerful card, along with eight other blank cards...

"_What is this?! I've never seen this card before…?"_

"_**What you hold is a dragon of dark power. A dark power that is a part of me, and will help you in your quest. Before seeking your vengeance and revenge, we need… reinforcements, if we're to take on the Crimson Dragon's former Signers. That is where you come in. Find me eight other duelists. But not just any duelist will do. Those blank cards will reveal their true selves in the presence of a strong soul… "**_

_Contemplating this, Sayer knew better than to try to take these cards for himself, and use them against… whoever, or whatever this... thing is. Having seen first hand what he was capable of, crossing him would be a grave mistake… So Sayer had no qualms of teaming up with this guy. But why free him? It had to be something more than just a common enemy, or enemies in this case. And why would he need eight other duelists? Surely with their combined power, Yusei and his Signer friends wouldn't stand a chance, or would they?_

_Sensing his follower's apprehension, the dark figure spoke, __**"Speak, Divine…"**__ Divine? Yes, that was Sayer's true name. Sayer was what he was given when he was born. A weak, pathetic human. But Divine? It was the name that changed everything for him. Rechristianing himself as the saviour of his kind. Removing himself from his thoughts, he returned his attention to the dark figure, clouded and cloaked in shadow, and spoke what was on his mind. "Why do we need other duelists, specifically eight of them? There are only six Signers, and only one of them is a Psychic herself. And after restoring my powers, with added upgrades, both of us should be more than enough to destroy them!"_

_Chuckling at his follower's enthusiasm, the obscured figure spoke again, __**"Ah… your enthusiasm… is… welcome, but misguided. Despite your new power, and mine… we alone cannot defeat the former Signers. Though they are no longer servants of the Dragon God of Light, they are still one with its power. As for the specific number of duelists… well… that's a bit more complicated… and you are not ready for the truth… yet…" **_

Afterwards, Sayer-no-Divine had left the darkened chamber, and was told to leave the country, and let the cards guide his way. Before all this, and before the Dark Signers, he had never put any stock into mysticism. Believing it to be a scam and nothing more for the foolish and easily swayed to believe in. But now, after dying, coming back to life, stripped of his powers, only years later to be restored and reborn aknew, he believed. Believed in _him_, and believed that he would finally get his long awaited revenge on the one that betrayed him...

* * *

A/N: Yes, yes, I know. I'm evil for having Trudge interrupt Yusei and Akiza's "sexy time", but they had to know sooner or later that Sayer had escaped, and after all, this chapter is called _Truths Revealed_. Beyond that, there isn't much to say about the chapter itself, but hopefully I have redeemed myself in the eyes of the Faithshippers, myself-again included.

I do apologize for the long wait. As I've said before, the summer semester here, is much shorter than your average quarter, and everything is crammed in such a short amount of time that it doesn't leave me with much free time outside of school. Anyway, tell me what you guys think - I can't say this enough - it helps a lot, and I'll try to update as soon as I can to the best of my abilities.


	5. Remembrance of the Past

**Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's: War of the Dragons**

**Chapter 5: Remembrance of the Past**

* * *

A/N: Alright, so this chapter will deal with the repercussions of the last chapter. More specifically, Sayer's escape, and the choice to not telling Akiza, her friends and family until now. Note, there will be a topic discussed in this chapter that might _"trigger" _or rub a few people the wrong way, and I'll approach that subject at the end.

* * *

Yusei and Akiza just stared at Trudge for what seemed like hours. The news that Sayer had escaped the Facility still ringing in their ears. It was almost like they were in a dream. They both desperately wanted this to be some sort of nightmare, one in which they wanted nothing more than to wake up from. However, the look of concern and fear on Trudge's face was all the confirmation that they needed to know that this wasn't a dream, or a nightmare; it was reality.

And that reality came crashing down when Yusei stood up abruptly, his intimidating stare cowering the burly officer in his seat. The tightening of Yusei's muscles and the tenseness in his shoulders gave him an imposing aura, one that made him seem all the more towering and threatening to the larger man. Teeth nashed together, grinding against the other, Yusei glared hard at the man before asking him, "How long…?"

Jumping at the sound of the growl that was ripped from Yusei's throat, Trudge's brow felt like it was letting loose a torrent of sweat. Trudge knew exactly what Yusei was asking, and from the anger in the younger man's tone, if Trudge was to let Yusei know what he wanted to know, then Trudge wasn't sure if Yusei could keep that anger in check. But Yusei was a friend, and Trudge would go through hell if it meant he could help a friend. So with great trepidation, the burly officer swallowed the lump of fear in his throat, and replied, "Since the day that Miss Izinski and the others had returned."

A tick formed on Yusei's brow as he absorbed the information. Three days. He and most likely Lazar's most trusted officers - Tetsu's wife, Mina and their second in command, Kaz - along with Lazar himself had known for over 72 hours that Sayer had escaped. Gritting his teeth, Yusei cursed, pinching the bridge of his nose, and closing his eyes whilst breathing slowly, trying to calm the rage in his heart. In his mind, he kept thinking over and over again, _"Why? Why didn't they tell us? Tell her?! Tell her family!? Sayer is a dangerous individual, what if something had happened to them… To her… and they hadn't told us…?" _Shaking his head, he cleared his mind of those thoughts; he didn't want to know, much less think about what Sayer could have done…

After several moments of silence, Yusei seemed to have calmed down enough to continue his conversation with Tetsu. However, he instead, looked towards Akiza. She hadn't said anything, not a single word since the burly officer had come with the grim news. She just sat there, staring at her shaking hands she had clenched into fists in her lap. Yusei worried for her; he couldn't imagine what was going on through her mind at the moment. So instead of continuing his tirade with Trudge, the younger man sat next to Akiza, back down in his original seat, and cupped Akiza's hand in his, giving it a gentle squeeze; a silent message, assuring her that he was there for should she need it.

Immediately, she returned the gesture, grateful that he was there. Intertwining their fingers together, Yusei could tell that she had loosened up some what. The tightness in her hands and shoulders lessened, and the tension that surrounded her like an overbearing aura seemed to have toned down some as well. Tetsu watched the two interact, and felt for them. He, along with his wife, and his second in command, Kaz knew withholding the information wasn't a very good idea, but Lazar had made a point; Akiza had just returned home after spending 8 years away from her family, friends, and Yusei, and they all needed their time to adjust.

It would have destroyed her knowing that the one person she used to have been able to trust, had escaped the same day she came home; the very likely possible scenario that he would have used any means necessary to get his revenge on her for turning against him, whether that meant harming her friends, her family, and/or Yusei would have broken her. Which is exactly what she expects him to do. The thought of him doing anything to them haunted her, and frightened her to her very core.

Knowing that, Trudge continued from where he had left off, before Yusei's question. "We're terribly sorry for not having told any of you sooner; Mina, myself and Kaz wanted to tell you, truly-but, Lazar made it clear to give you Akiza and your parents and friends time to adjust back in the city." Turning to Yusei, Tetsu continued, "Again, on behalf of Sector Security and Director Lazar, I personally apologize for our actions, or in this case, lack thereof." With a bow of his head, to both Yusei and Akiza, Tetsu finished with detailing them of Sayer's escape.

Bowing his head in return, Yusei replied, "Thank you, Trudge. I'm still more than a little upset that you didn't come to me, or tell any of us of what happened, but I understand why the information wasn't released. But what about Akiza's parents, and the others?"

"Sharing history with Jack, Kaz thought it best if he told Jack himself, and if Carly was with him, then she would know too. I'll catch up with Crow after I'm done here, and Mina is on her way to tell Akiza's parents, and then the twins. If you were also referring to the others, besides them, they'll learn when the general public knows. Rally and that lot are all still in Satellite scattered about, and I have no clue where Kalin, Misty and that Sherry woman are staying, if they're still even in the city."

Taking a deep breath, Yusei sighed. Now that they knew that Sayer had escaped, and is now a fugitive, they had to why he escaped, and more importantly, how? The why, wasn't difficult at all to imagine. Sayer wanted Akiza to come back to the fold. He was obsessed with her and her powers, and would use her to take whatever he wanted. But all of that failed when Yusei entered the picture and opened her once closed off, black heart of ice. He wanted revenge. Revenge on Akiza for betraying him, and revenge on Yusei for turning Akiza against him.

That wasn't all that hard to figure out, but there had to have been something else. Sayer didn't have his powers, so _how_ did he escape? He had to have had help, but all known associates of Arcadia disbanded after the organization fell. So, who, or what could have broken Sayer out of his prison cell? And if there was someone or something that was behind the escape, then what was their reason for wanting Sayer freed? They were too many questions, and not nearly enough answers. Noticing the similar expression etched into Yusei's features, as he watched the younger man's brilliant mind come to the same conclusion as everyone else that knew of the facts, Tetsu spoke up.

"I know that look Yusei. In the last 72 hours and counting, I've seen it more times than I can count. Before you ask, we don't know how Sayer escaped. He couldn't have done it on his own, and he has no allies to speak of to help him. We know for certain that Sayer's reasons for escaping were because of his lust for revenge, but since he couldn't have acted alone, then what was the other offender's agenda? That is the question we've been asking ourselves for three days, and we've come up with nothing."

That was certainly a surprise. New Domino City is one of the, if not the most technologically advanced city in Japan, and its Security Force has access to nearly all of its resources. To hear that they haven't come up with any leads in three days was bizarre, and unsettling. Looking to his left, Akiza still hadn't engaged in the conversation, but her grip on Yusei's hand told him that she was still paying attention, absorbing all the information that was shared amongst them, and that was good enough for Yusei, for now.

"Three days? Surely you guys must have something, right? Video footage, voice recordings, finger prints?"

Releasing a sigh of exasperation, Tetsu shook his head. "Unfortunately no. All of the lights had been blown out, and whatever feed we had on that cell and what happened in that wing was erased. There were no fingerprints, and nothing on the audio scanner, but… I can't forget that feeling when we walked in that wing…"

Noticing the dark tone in Tetsu's voice, this time both Akiza and Yusei looked at the burly officer. They blatantly hear the fear that was resonating off of him as he continued to speak. "It was worse than when I dueled against the Ghost, or that time when we were dealing with the Dark Signers. In those moments, I was terrified, but I always felt a linger of hope… But when we walked into that wing… all I felt was hopelessness. Like a suffocating darkness that swallows you whole… And the chill in the air… it was unnaturally cold… almost supernatural…"

Every word that Trudge spoke, a chord inside Yusei was struck. Yusei knew _exactly _what Trudge was speaking of. It was the same feeling he had down in that abandoned tomb. The all consuming darkness, the unbearably cold temperature… it all fit… except for one so Yusei thought. "But that wasn't even the worst part… all of the guards… all of those people… men and women transfigured into nothing more than husks… shells of what they were before… it was like their souls weren't just ripped out, but… _siphoned _from within… it was beyond terrifying… their faces… or what was left of them… I'll never be able to get that out of my skull…"

Akiza's free hand flew to her mouth, gasping in horror from learning of the grizzly details that surrounded Sayer's escape. Immediately, she began thinking that Sayer had done all of that, and there was a point in time that Akiza would never have accepted the possibility, but after learning of his true motivations, and who he really was, she wouldn't be surprised if he could have done such a thing. However, based on Tetsu's explanation, Sayer no longer had his powers, and even if he did, his cell was specifically designed to keep him locked inside. So whatever it was that broke him out was also the same thing that killed all of the guardsmen.

Yusei, on the hand was shell shocked. _"This thing… whatever it is… isn't just connected to the Crimson Dragon, but it also teamed up with a person like Sayer? What the hell is going on…?" _Catching Yusei's troubled expression, Akiza squeezed her hand - which was still grasped in Yusei's - catching his attention, and for the first time in almost an hour, spoke. "Yusei…? You look like you've seen a ghost? What's going on?"

Then it clicked in her mind, but before she had the chance to confirm her suspicion, Yusei confirmed it for her. "When I was in Peru with Greiger… he lead me to what I believed to have been a long lost temple of sorts. Apparently, a group of scholars and researchers wanted to learn more of the Quechua peoples culture, and thought digging around in a temple was a good idea. Greiger's message was about those people… They had been missing for some time, and the last place they were all located at was that temple... "

"But it wasn't a temple… not at the bottom level… inside the inner chamber… it was a tomb… Everything you described Trudge, from the temperature of the room, to the overbearing feeling of being suffocated in darkness… it was all the same… and those researchers? They ended up just like your officers… but by the time they had been found… their bodies were gone; crumbled to dust."

Yusei went on to explaining the strange markings found within the tomb, including the stone tablet that depicted an evil version of the Crimson Dragon, that was set in place where this _thing_ was accidentally released. Then there was the matter of six stone slabs that depicted nearly identical carvings of the six Signer Dragons, the only one that was remarkably different was the one that depicted a darker twin of Life Stream Dragon's lesser form-Power Tool Dragon. Finally, there was the four other stone slabs, with carvings of Dragons Yusei had never seen before, and in the center of the circle of Dragon Tablets, there was another, one that depicted what Yusei could only describe as an evolved form of the "evil" Crimson Dragon.

Suffice to say, when Tetsu left that night, he, along with Yusei and Akiza got the feeling that things much worse were soon going to come to pass...

* * *

After Trudge left to inform Mina and Kaz of the new information regarding the mysterious person that was responsible for releasing and aiding Sayer's escape, a heavy, awkward silence fell between the two former Signers. Neither of them knew what to make of their current situation, or how to proceed. But, they couldn't wait around and let Sayer and whatever force(s) he has allied himself with to take over and consume their lives, and the livelihood of their friends and family. So with that in mind, taking her free hand in his other hand, Yusei led Akiza away from the couch in the living room, and up the stairs towards his bedroom.

Catching her confused and questioning brow, Yusei smiled softly, and replied, "Come on, we can worry about Sayer and the forces of darkness later. It's late and I'm inclined to make the assumption that we're both exhausted from the night's earlier activities, not to mention that bombshell being dropped on us. The world can take care of itself for one night, okay?"

Akiza looked surprised. Yusei normally wasn't so… _relaxed_ in situations like this. Usually, he was all business when it came to supernatural forces hell bent on world domination - starting with New Domino, or whatever else that the bad guys always wanted with this city. But looking at him right now, she didn't see any of his usual silent stoicism, or his serious outward appearance. Instead, there was this newfound ease and calm to himself. She couldn't help but think that after everything they had told each other, and being in the presence of one another, that she might have had that effect on him. The thought of it made her heart warm, and cheeks flush.

Hanging her head down, she sighed in mock defeat. Raising her head, her brown, caramel, amber eyes making contact with his royal blue, sapphire orbs, she mirrored Yusei's smile, and repeated back to him; "Okay."

* * *

Several minutes later, Akiza sat on Yusei's bed, idling running her hands through her violet-magenta red locks, while she could hear Yusei just finishing up. As she continued sitting there on his bed, against her better judgement, and mind, her thoughts drifted back to Sayer. She couldn't believe that there was a time in her life where she would have followed him to the gates of hell and he only needed to ask of her to do so. The things he had done; framing her for Misty's younger brother Toby's murder, among others… it sickened her, but despite everything she's learned of Sayer since, she can't bring herself to hate the man.

She _wants _to. She so desperately wants to, but she just… can't. And she doesn't fully understand why. She hasn't forgiven him for what he had done, and what he had made her do against her will, but there's this little tiny part of her that just won't give in. She's not relying on hope; that was long ago extinguished. She knows now - has known for years - that Sayer will never change. But he was the first person since she had discovered her powers that didn't ridicule, or shun her away, for what she was. Maybe it was that first connection that sparked that tiny little part of her that can't hate him, no matter what he's done, or who he truly is. He was the first person that she was able to form both an emotional, and eventually… a physical connection to…

Hearing the bathroom door unlock brought Akiza away from those thoughts. Turning her head up in Yusei's direction she took notice of his nightwear; a basic, black, sleeveless, muscle shirt, and grey sweatpants - his shirt exposing his lean, toned muscled arms, and his sweats hanging around his waist, just barely hugging his hips. Akiza herself wasn't wearing anything special or extravagant; just a pink and white frilly nightgown. Yusei cocked his head to the side, and gazed at Akiza critically, before uttering, "Well, goodnight. I guess… I'll see you in the morning."

Just as Yusei was about to walk out of the room, Akiza stood abruptly and grabbed a firm, yet gentle hold on Yusei's wrist. Turning back around in her direction, Yusei was just about to ask Akiza what she was doing, when she interrupted his thoughts, and asked, rather shyly, "Wait! Um, if it's not too much to ask… do you… I mean, could you stay with me? Just for tonight at least? After learning about Sayer earlier this evening, and that he's apparently in some kind of partnership with whatever was able to scare both you and Greiger in Peru, and Lazar and his trusted few here… I wouldn't feel safe sleeping by myself…"

Noticing his hesitation and inaction, she quickly added, "But! If that's too awkward… considering what we were heading towards before… well… _that_…I'll understand it, if you want some space." Continuing to stare down at Akiza, Yusei nodded in agreement, and replied, "Yeah, I can do that. Come here."

Taking her hand in his, he shifted them around until both he and she were lying on opposite ends of the bed; she on the left, and Yusei on the right. The two laid there for what seemed like hours, but was more than likely just a few minutes. The news from earlier keeping Yusei and Akiza awake, not to mention her previous thoughts from her head to Yusei, she could see him staring up at the ceiling, with one of his usual frowns present on his face. Suddenly a thought came to mind, and before she could process what she was about to ask, she blurted out, "Could you hold me?"

_That_ definitely caught his attention. Turning his head to look at Akiza, she inwardly cowered at his questioning gaze, and almost apologized, when she noticed a shift in the bed. Suddenly, Yusei had one arm tucked beneath her, his other arm wrapped around her midsection, and her back pressed to his chest, with his head leaning on her shoulder. Whether it was intentional or not, when Yusei asked, "Better?" his warm breath on her skin sent shivers up and down her spine, and she was unable to stop her body's immediate reaction; which was to press herself _closer_ to Yusei, grinding her backside into his groin.

Stifling a groan, Yusei steeled himself, less he give into temptation, and carnal desire. Noticing the feeling of Yusei's sheathed manhood pressing up against her bum and lower back, Akiza bit her lower lip in an effort to stifle a moan of her own, whispering into the now _hot _bedroom, "Sorry… maybe this wasn't such a good idea… I couldn't sleep, and I thought, well… it helped me before… so why not now?"

"No, no. It's fine… I was still awake too. And I apologize for my… ahem… _reaction_. But I know that's the only thing on your mind that's keeping you up. You know you can tell me anything Akiza, and anything that's said between us stays between us, unless it concerns our friends and family."

Sighing in both relief and nervousness, Akiza turned her body, around, so she was now facing Yusei, their noses just centimeters apart. Looking Yusei right in the eyes, she confessed, "It's about Sayer. After everything concerning with the Dark Signers, I put everything that I had done when I was a part of Arcadia, shoved it into a little corner of my mind, and just forgot about it. For 9 years I hadn't thought of him, or Arcadia, but now that he's back, it's bringing a lot of old baggage for me, and I can't shake it off, or just put it back in the box, and I don't know what to do…"

Placing a hand in between the mattress and Yusei's marked cheek lying on top of it, she rubbed her thumb across the marker, as she contemplated on how to voice what she had been thinking since Trudge had left. Removing the hand from her midsection, Yusei, in return brushed a stray lock of hair away from her face, brushing her cheek along the way, mimicking and returning her gesture. Then he softly replied, "It's okay, Akiza. You can tell me…"

Returning the smile, Akiza continued to rub her thumb across Yusei's marked cheek, as she started speaking again. "Sayer was the first person who didn't judge me, or ridicule me for my powers, or for who I was. Everyone, including my own mother and father wanted nothing to do with me at that point in time. Sending me off to Duel Academy so they could 'fix' me… But the school there didn't want anything to do with me either; not the faculty, not the staff, especially, not the students. But...Sayer… he treated me with a respect and a kindness I hadn't known since I was a little girl."

"When he took me in, it was everything to me. If it wasn't for him, I would've died on the street, and no one would have known, not even my parents, and honestly, I don't think at that point in my life anyone would have cared… I grew to admire him, and respect him. He became a surrogate father in a way; the kind of father I had always wanted. He had my complete trust and faith, and there was almost anything I wouldn't have done for him; he only needed to ask me."

"Then… eventually… that respect and admiration… the faith and trust I had in him, that I placed in him… it grew to affection, and quite possibly an obsession. He was my world, my everything… and I gave him _everything_…"

Akiza stopped at that moment to gauge Yusei's response. She had never told anyone, not even her parents knew. She had willingly gave herself to Sayer. He was her first, and at the time, through careful manipulation, Sayer was able to coerce her into giving up the one thing he hadn't already taken from her, and the worst part of it all, was she didn't even realize she was being played, or used until the damage had already been done.

But after gazing into his eyes, searching his face for something, anything that could point to contempt, or disgust, and finding nothing of the sort, Akiza let out the small breath she held. It would have broken and shattered her had he rejected her because she had slept with Sayer, and he was her first. Continuing from where she had left off, "That was a little over a year before I first met you, Yusei. And I can't help but wonder, if things had been different, and I had met you instead of Sayer that night, would I still have turned out the way I did, or would I have become someone better? After everything was revealed to be nothing but a scam, after learning that Sayer was indeed one of the bad guys, and the words you spoke to me when we first duelled, and the words you spoke to me at the hospital… I was distraught… and confused, and didn't know what to believe anymore."

"And like a child, I blindly, hopelessly hoped that all of it was an elaborate lie. That everything that I was told and shown was all just a scam to try to turn me against him. When I saw him again in the Satellite, I was overjoyed, and happy beyond belief. But then, he took that faith, that trust I had in him, and he used that against me… turned me into his own personal weapon… and when you tricked him into revealing the truth of his actions, the truth of who he really was… It crushed me. I was devastated. Not just because he lied to me, but because I was stupid enough to fall for his act."

"After that day, I cursed Sayer for what he had done. To me, to me Misty, to you, and to all the other people he had hurt. I can never forgive him for that, but… I can't hate him… And I don't know why… I want to hate him, Yusei. I try with every fiber of my being, but… I can't, and it's bothering the hell out of me…"

Moving his hand from her midsection, Yusei gripped Akiza's free hand in his, and squeezed it gently, reassuringly, then said softly, "I can't begin to know what you're feeling right now, Akiza. I can't say with absolute certainty that I can relate to what's going on in your head right now, but I can understand it. For whatever else Sayer is and has done in the past, it's as you said earlier, he was the first person to treat you like you were a human being. He didn't shun you away,nor did he treat you like you were a monster. He took you in at a time in your life where you had no one to turn towards. He'll always be that person to you Akiza."

Her eyes fogged with unshed tears as she continued to caress Yusei's marked cheek. She just couldn't stop falling for the man lying next to her. He was so understanding and compassionate when it came to her. She often wondered what her life could have been had she met Yusei all those years ago, instead of Sayer. Would he be just as he was when she first met him? Or would he have been just like everyone else? She hopefully thought of the former.

Using his other hand to wipe away the lone tear spilling down her cheek, Yusei's thoughts drifted to what she had implied earlier; that Sayer was her first. And unsurprisingly, Yusei found himself, once again, understanding. It was no surprise that when he first met Akiza, she was wholeheartedly and completely loyal to the former head of Arcadia, bordering on obsession. Likewise, Sayer was obsessed with Akiza and more significantly her powers, and would have done anything to her to win her trust. Giving herself to him nailed the final coffin that represented the trust and faith that she had placed with him. That was probably the main reason as to why she was so distraught and hurt when she had learned the truth about him.

Gazing into her eyes, as she did the same to him, Yusei told her, "I don't hold it against you, nor do I blame, or think any different of you. I still love you like I did all those years ago; maybe even more now. Thank you for telling me that. I know it had to have been hard, but I want to tell you something…"

Breathless, heated, and in a daze, all Akiza could do was nod her head in the slightest. Pulling her closer, Yusei gently rested his head atop of hers. His eyes were half lidded, and his lips were a fraction of an inch away from tasting Akiza's. She could feel her heart rate skyrocket, and the blush spread from her cheeks to her neck, while the heat she felt all over began to pool together into her lower regions. Silently, Akiza berated herself on how easy it was for her to get all "worked up" and aroused from Yusei's actions.

Whispering hotly to Akiza, Yusei began again, "Your tale reminded me of something similar that happened between Jack and myself. After the Enforcers disbanded and Kalin's arrest, Crow went his own way, and Jack and I went ours. Eventually we became friends with Rally and the others, but I could tell Jack was starting to break away - distance himself from his friends from me. After a long period, Jack stole my Stardust Dragon card and my first ever duel runner, and made his way to New Domino, to Goodwin's good graces and to become King."

Akiza had known all of this prior, and didn't know what the point was of telling her now, or how it was in any way relatable to her story, but she let him continue, for he had never interrupted her, and she would refrain from doing so with him. But also because of the way his voice was making her melt on the inside. Honestly, if the heat pooling between her thighs was of any indication, it just might be possible for her to get off just from Yusei _speaking_. That was an embarrassing, yet titillating thought.

"Taking away and stealing Stardust and my duel runner was one thing, but the way in which he did so strained and nearly destroyed our friendship. I had held a grudge for a while and wouldn't stop holding onto it until I made my way to New Domino. Not to just take Stardust back, but to settle the score between ourselves, and if possible, bring him back as well. If not to Satellite, than at least to the Jack I grew up with. That was my reason for going to New Domino in the first place. But then I got caught up in Goodwin's schemes, but more importantly, I got to meet you, Akiza. If it wasn't for Jack's arrogance and pride, I wouldn't have ever came to the city in the first place, and there would be no telling where either of us would have wound up."

"The point I'm making is that I came to forgive Jack overtime. And despite his intentions, there was some good that came of them. Whether you come to forgive Sayer or not is entirely up to you, but don't forget, that despite what Sayer's true intentions were, there was still some good that came from it."

Akiza just stared in silent awe from Yusei's little speech, and she found herself falling even harder for the raven-haired scientist just a bit more. Okay, maybe _a lot_ more. Honestly it was just too cute and adorable to be pathetic. She has had it _hard _for Yusei, but she didn't realize it until just now how hard she had been falling for him. But as she regained her focus back to reality, she gazed back into Yusei's royal blue orbs, and realized he still had something else on his mind.

"Also…" Tilting his to the side as much as he could in his current position lying on his side, literally neck and neck with her, Akiza's heart pounded against her chest, threatening to burst as Yusei drew closer. Draping his arms to her waist, his strong hands gripped a hold of her gently, pulling her ever closer. "I've been meaning to tell you something else…" Gulping back the lump in her throat, Akiza pressed her hands closer to Yusei, fisting them into his muscle shirt, inching ever closer to her love as she felt one of his hands move from her waist, and lightly brush across her body, gently cupping her face in his hand, as he drew himself impossibly closer.

Following by his earlier example, Akiza's head was tilted slightly as well, her lips parting just a hair's breadth, and eyes becoming half lidded as she hotly whispered back to Yusei, "What did you want to tell me…?" Smirking, on the inside, Yusei simply said, "You're my one and only." Then he crashed his lips against hers, pulling her into a comfortable embrace.

* * *

A/N: I'm so terribly sorry for the late update. I did say that they would be sporadic and less likely to happen one after another, but I didn't plan for this to have been so long a wait. Between school and life at home, I was caught between a rock and a hard place. It didn't help that I fell ill either. Eh, but sometimes these things just happen, and it's out of my control, so there's no point in worrying about it now.

Originally, this was going to be a lot longer. Incorporating a dreamscape sequence between Yusei and the Crimson Dragon; with said Dragon God telling the former Signer of its connection to the mysterious figure aiding Sayer and the tomb in which it was sealed within. But, instead I decided to focus on Akiza's relationship to Sayer, and Yusei comforting her.

Now, as to what I had said in the beginning, there is a part where Akiza divulges to Yusei her full involvement with Sayer and her conflicting emotions with the man, and as you will read, it's deep. I'm not a Sayer/Akiza fan, or a Psychicshipper; in fact, as I've said similarly regarding the Yusei/Sherry thing, I'm a fanboy of Yusei/Akiza, or Faithshipping, and am not a fan of any ship where Yusei isn't with Akiza, and vice versa. But there is a reason for the Akiza/Sayer past pairing, and that's character growth.

Akiza was wholeheartedly loyal to a fault with Sayer, and she was beyond devastated and crushed to have learned the truth about him. But even then she had hoped that everything she had all heard was an elaborate lie, just so Goodwin could use her as one of his Signers, and it isn't until her duel with Misty and with Yusei's help, she was finally able to see that she was being used solely for her powers, and that Sayer didn't care about her as anything other than a weapon.

Learning that Yusei was right about his suspicions and that all the evidence against him was true, it destroyed her. You don't have that kind of reaction to someone unless you were very close to that person, whether it be an emotional and/or physical connection. It's also not surprising, to me at least, that Sayer would have been her first. As said above in the chapter, he was the first person she had met, before Yusei, that didn't treat her differently because of her powers, and it was because of him that she was able to find a home, and a place to take her in. If he hadn't, there is a very good chance that Akiza could've ended up dead.

He was also absolutely obsessed with how powerful she was, and would use any necessary to obtain her complete faith and trust in him, which he ultimately did obtain.

As for the little bit at the end, it seems like I implied that Akiza and Yusei continue there little "adventure" before Trudge barged in, but that is not the case. It was, again, just another tease. Sorry, not sorry. They kiss, and cuddle, but nothing beyond that. I also didn't feel as if it was the right thing to do, or go in that direction, considering the overwhelming news and Akiza's emotional state afterwards.

Anyway, now that that is all out of the way. R and R, and tell me your thoughts. Seriously, it helps, and I also just like chatting with my readers. But please no flames. I'm especially not in the mood today.


	6. Stricken

**Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's: War of the Dragons**

**Chapter 6: Stricken**

* * *

A/N: Hello again. First thing I want to say is I'm sorry for the comment I made at the end of the last chapter. I was frustrated, tired and sick and shouldn't have lashed out like that. I think I might have scared some people, heh. That's no excuse, however, so again, I do apologize if I may have offended someone, or if not, then for my shitty attitude.

But that's all in the past. Perhaps I should've said this in the beginning, but if you haven't noticed it by now, this is a sort of a slow build up story, and I'm aiming for it to be longer than my last story which was 11 chapters. I can assure that it will be at least more than 11, but at the most I think it would peak at 15; maybe 20, but that's a bit of a reach.

Last, but not least, the reason why this chapter was late was because of a few things. First, was my birthday, which was July 4th, coinciding with my college's summer break, which is from the 1st to the 5th, not including the weekends. Then, there was also my gaming hobby. A friend of mine lent me his Assassin's Creed: The Ezio Collection for the PS4, and I had just finished beating Assassin's Creed 2, and have just now started on Brotherhood.

With all of that said, this chapter is dark-ish. Not necessarily anything bad, but it deals with the aftermath of Sayer's involvement with his escape, and the mission his new master has given him. Plus it deals with the consequences and repercussions of his past with Akiza, and his desire for revenge not just against her, but Yusei, in particular, as well.

* * *

The next day, Yusei and Akiza's lives, as well as those of their friends and families took a one-hundred and eighty degree turn for the worst. After learning of Sayer's escape, Akiza struggled to get a good night's rest, and could only find herself able to achieve any semblance of a restful sleep when in the presence of Yusei; less she be awakened tormented from the nightmares that edged their way into her unconscious mind. She was eternally grateful for Yusei's kindness and compassion. She thought for certain that their relationship would be tarnished for good after she had revealed her deepest and darkest secret - if you could even call it that - to him; that Sayer, at one point in time, meant more to her than she would care to admit - on both an emotional and physical level.

But alas, Yusei managed to surprise her again with his understanding and compassion. Although he couldn't comprehend her feelings over the situation; he could - at least to some degree - relate to her predicament, in his own way, and he showed her that she wasn't a victim of Sayer's manipulation, but a survivor from his emotional abuse. That night, she shared Yusei's bed, seeking comfort from the trauma of her past; unleashing all of her pent up emotions. They laid there together, her back pressed against his chest, and his arms wrapped securely around her, with their hands held together, and fingers intertwined.

Unfortunately, the peace and quiet couldn't last. The next day, the two were bombarded with the concerns and questions from their friends and family; each of them having a different reaction from hearing the news of Sayer's escape before it was released to the public. Martha was undoubtedly worried for her adopted son, and his girlfriend, but she also knew that Yusei would do everything in his power to protect Akiza; knowing that he wouldn't let any harm come to her, even if it meant bringing harm to himself. Overall, she was conflicted, but trusted Yusei wholeheartedly. However, not all of Yusei's family was as "comforting" as Martha. Jack, in particular, was furious. Outraged. Pissed the fuck off. Basically any adjective that was a synonym of extreme anger fit Jack's reaction.

Crow, was a bit of both; angry for sector Security's actions, or in this case, the lack thereof, and worried for his older brother. He knew Yusei better than most, even better than Jack, and knew that Yusei was the type to take the responsibility and weight of the world on his shoulders, and his alone, if it meant protecting his loved ones. It was both admirable, and yet at the same time infuriating, but as Crow also knew, Akiza wasn't a scared little girl; she was a tough, young woman; fully capable of holding her own, and if he knew her as well as he knew Yusei, he knew that she was perhaps the only person on the planet that was just as stubborn, if not more so than the raven-haired scientist himself, and would be there to help him in the only way she knew how to. That thought didn't exactly ease his tension though…

Carly's and surprisingly, Leo's reactions were much of the same; full of worry and blabbering incoherent thoughts and words that melded together into indecipherable sentences of mundane nonsense. Luckily, Carly calmed down as soon as Jack came to her aid; at least they had been making progress on repairing their relationship through it all. Unfortunately, that left the second man-child of the team, following Crow, in the care of his twin sister, Luna, whose reaction wasn't much different from Martha's, but was quickly transformed into something akin to Jack as she came crashing her fist down atop her brother's skull…

Sherry, Misty, and Kalin's reactions were of the most calm. Though they all shared similar thoughts of worry, like most of the group, they were also some of the most calming and understanding of them as well. Misty and Sherry haven gone through similar circumstances considering both of their pasts, and Kalin, well he knew Yusei long enough to know that whatever was to come to pass, he would always be there for the red headed doctor. Which, finally, of course left said doctor's parents. Setsuko was on the verge of tears, and Hideo on the verge of a meltdown. After careful deliberation from both Lazar and Trudge, Kaz was on protective detail 24/7 and would be staying with the older couple in a secret location that only the party of Akiza's parents and Lazar and his inner circle knew.

Speaking of Akiza, after talking it through with both of her parents and Yusei, the former Mark of the Crimson Dragon's Head reluctantly agreed that it was best to stay with him. With her parents and Yusei likely the most highest value targets in Sayer's bid for vengeance, it wouldn't do Akiza any good if she were to stay with them. It was also agreed upon by both of Akiza's parents that Yusei was the best person to look after their daughter, and was the best candidate to be her personal "bodyguard"; much to the chargin of Yusei, who was bearing a slight pink blush to his normally tan cheeks. Despite the heavy air surrounding the Yusei and company, it was a delight to know that even in the darkest of times, there would always be moments like this in between it all.

* * *

_Beijing, China_

Standing atop what is known as the Temple of Heaven, a man shrouded in a black cloak, and an equally dark cowl worn over his head was a man with a hand holding onto a blank, white, Synchro Duel Monsters' card, and on his other arm was a Duel Disk of a sinister design. Lifting his head up just enough to reveal half of his face obscured by a plain gray mask, and part of an emerald, green eye, partially obscured from ruby, red bangs, the man looked across the courtyard as the eye covered by the mask glowed an eerie, purple light where his hidden eye would be as his gaze locking onto a single man within the crowd.

The card that was held in one of his gloved hands, began emitting a soft glow. As the man continued to gaze at his target, the card began to pulse, as if it had its own heart. The longer his stare gazed at the man amongst the crowd, the louder and faster the beating and pumping continued to pulse in the man's mind. Lowering his cowl, covering all but the faintest of smiles; a twisted smirk turning into a wicked grin, replaced the smile on the man's face, as he muttered to himself; _"One down…"_

* * *

After everyone's initial shock had passed, and after everyone within Yusei and Akiza's circle of friends and family had been warned personally of the former head of Arcadia's escape from the Facility, Lazar gave the word to inform the public, with Carly heading the story. The general population - as it was expected and anticipated - were in a panic, understandably. After everything regarding the Dark Signers, Yliaster, and Z-ONE, the people of the city had enough "excitement" to have lasted a lifetime, and had entered a time of peace and tranquility for over a decade.

After his subsequent arrest, Sayer's crimes were uncovered to the public, and what they knew of him before paled in comparison to what he was truly capable of. Toby's death was just one of numerous cases involving kidnapped young children, disappearances and unresolved cold cases involving dead kids with no location of the child's deceased body. Literally, tens, maybe even hundreds of children missings and cold cases could be tied to him. If that wasn't disturbing enough, the evidence that suggested that Akiza wasn't the first of many young teenage girls that he had manipulated into having relations with him was more than enough. And now, he was back; back for revenge.

However, after ten years, the city's Security forces' technology has been upgraded and improved upon numerous times over the decade; getting better and better each time; becoming more efficient every time. From facial recognition scanning, fingerprinting, DNA - the whole nine, and eventually, the city got behind Lazar's assurance. This, however did not ease the mind of one Yusei Fudo. Despite Lazar and Sector Security's efforts, he was unsure of the possibility that they could manage to find him; let alone recapture the man.

Standing with his arms crossed, leaning on the balconies' edge overlooking the city below, his mind drifted to thoughts of Akiza. After the relocation, Yusei thought it would be best if Akiza spent the rest of the day with her parents. Because after this, until Sayer and his collaborator were brought to large, Akiza would have minimal contact with her parents, and the same for them. This allowed Yusei the time to check with Sector Security, and know of what progress they have made in locating Sayer. Suffice to say, he wasn't impressed.

The only thing that they knew for sure was that he wasn't in New Domino. Despite all of the advancements in technology, he still managed to slip through their grasp. But given that whatever was released from that tomb was most likely some ancient spirit with supernatural and mysterious powers, it wasn't hard to believe, or come to an understanding that it was entirely possible that he could remain undetected. However, the thought still didn't sit well with the scientist. If he wasn't in the city, then where could he have gone? And more importantly, why wasn't he in the city?

The more he pondered on the question, the more confused, and concerned he became. It wouldn't make sense for him to just up and leave. There had to have been a reason for his departure. If it wasn't of his own choice, then it must have been some kind of mission from who, or whatever helped in Sayer's escape. Maybe a test to prove his worth and/or loyalty? Recruiting potential followers? Whatever the reasons may be; none of it mattered now.

Breathing a sigh of exasperation and exhaustion, Yusei turned back towards the entrance doors when he stopped suddenly, and was met face to face with Jack Atlas.

* * *

Jack had learned earlier that morning that Yusei was on his way to Sector Security HQ to learn what they knew about Sayer's whereabouts. Taking an early breakfast, Jack left Carly's apartment to meet with his younger brother. He'd never admit aloud, but deep down, he was worried for Yusei. The last time Yusei crossed paths with the former leader of New Domino's psychic mastermind, he was left hanging off the edge of a 4 story building. But his worry also spread to Akiza. She was admittedly, very close to Sayer at one point in time, and it wasn't until she had met Yusei that she was wrapped the older man's finger; she would no doubt be the true target of his vengeance.

Another thought had crossed his mind while he was on his way to Sector Security Headquarters. With Sayer now on the run, what will happen at the tournament? Would it still go on, or would they cancel? The latter thought caused his hands to grip the handles on his mono-wheel duel runner harder, and grit his teeth in anger. It was selfish, he knew, but while catching up with old friends was one reason to come home, another important reason - in Jack's mind at least - was reclaiming the title of King. Over the years he had overcome every obstacle that stood in his way, and finally achieved his dream of becoming the World Turbo Dueling King. But to become the King of Kings, the King of Games, there was still one person he had yet to beat.

He didn't care much for the theatrics of the tournament, having matured and outgrown his love for the fame and glory. However, he knew it was likely his best chance to duel Yusei, and settle their score once and for all. The last time there was a crisis in New Domino, even with the fate of the city and its people on the line, the tournament continued on. But then again at that time, Lazar was sort of forced to continue said tournament, and the danger didn't really come until afterwards anyway. Then there was the whole deal with Goodwin using the first Fortune Cup as a scapegoat to try and identify all the potential Signers, and wasn't afraid of pushing the contestants to their limits, be it child or man.

With all of these thoughts in mind, it didn't take Jack long to make it to Sector Security Headquarters. Soon afterward, he made his way up the main building, stopping at the top floor where he knew that Yusei was speaking with Lazar, Trudge and Mina. Once he arrived, Mina wordlessly nodded her head towards the balcony, showing where Yusei was residing. Giving her a nod in return, as well as a nod to both Lazar and Trudge, Jack made it just in time to see Yusei turn to him, face to face.

* * *

At first, Yusei didn't know what to expect. He honestly hadn't expected to see any members of his old team to come by; least of all, Jack, but he wasn't displeased. After getting over his initial shock, Yusei's surprise morphed into a tired smile as he greeted his old friend and older brother, offering his hand to the other man. "Jack."

Said man's own permanent scowling face transformed into something similar to a grin, he then reached his own hand out, grasping Yusei's wrist with his outstretched hand, and Yusei doing the same, before pulling each other into a "bro hug". Afterwards, Jack greeted his younger brother, "Yusei."

Once the two separated, Yusei stepped aside, and allowed Jack to accompany him outside, so that the two of them could catch up with one another. The two brothers hadn't had the chance to speak with each other since the reunion party, which looking back, was about a week ago. Long overdue for a little talk to talk. After a number of minutes of exchanging stories of their time apart, Yusei cut right to the chase. "It's good to talk to you again, but why are you really here Jack? If you just wanted to meet and talk, we could have set up a place to meet, or I could have come over to wherever you're currently staying at, so what's up?"

Huffing a sigh, Jack knew he couldn't keep up the charade any longer; not with Yusei anyway. Not that catching up wasn't nice and all, but there were other matters on his mind that needed to be addressed. "Nothing gets past you, does it? I wanted to see if you were doing alright, in person." When Yusei quirked his brow, indicating that he knew that wasn't everything, Jack continued; "I want to know what happened when you went to Peru for your trip, and I know I'm going to catch hell for this… but I need to know if the tournament is still on, or not."

Jack braced himself for a serious verbal lashing, but was quite surprised when Yusei didn't seem angry at his last request/demand, instead he saw the corners of his mouth quirked up slightly in a grin. Chuckling lightly, Yusei responded, "That's… a lot to go over… but first, to ease your tension, and to answer your last demand, yes, the tournament will continue as planned. All of the security has been upgraded and improved upon, so there shouldn't be anything to worry about should Sayer and his cohort show up."

Looking at his younger brother carefully, Jack easily caught the sight of Yusei's tense shoulders, and the way his tone and voice betrayed what he was really feeling. "You don't sound convinced, Yusei." Shaking his head, and releasing an exasperated sigh, Yusei asked more to himself than to Jack, "Was it that obvious?" When Jack said nothing in return, Yusei continued; "Honestly, with everything we've seen and experienced, even with all of the technological advancements we have now, it wouldn't surprise me if Sayer could infiltrate the tournament unseen and undetected."

From the way Yusei growled Sayer's name, venom laced with each syllable of the man's name, Jack knew that Yusei was directing his frustrations and anger at the man. Not that he could blame him. From all of the psychological and emotional trauma he put Akiza through, and the fact that he was the reason that Misty and Carly both became Dark Signers; Sayer deserved whatever hell came to him when they caught him, but Jack sensed that something else was bothering his brother, and although he wasn't the greatest big brother role model, he still did care for his siblings, despite what he might say or do otherwise. "Anything else you want to get off your chest? You know as well as I do that keeping it all bottled up isn't going to resolve anything."

Taking another deep breath, Yusei began his tale; telling everything that has happened in the last week that has been on his mind. Everything from his casual relationship he had with Sherry - there wasn't much point in keeping it a secret any longer; both he and Akiza had forgiven each other and talked it out, it would only be a matter of time before the others found out; better to get it out sooner rather than later - to comforting Akiza in his bed, helping her with her nightmares, to the strange and bizarre events that unfolded when he went to Peru, and finally this conflict now that is somehow tied to the Crimson Dragon.

Jack was more than a little stunned at what he had heard, but he wasn't all that surprised, if he was being honest. He could understand Yusei's predicament with Sherry and Akiza better than most. He didn't show it, but he was genuinely shaken by what Yusei had described when he told him of what he had seen while in Peru, and finally he was just as confused as Yusei was about this connection that this mysterious figure has with the Dragon God, and what its interest in Sayer was. He also couldn't help but agree with Yusei that whenever the team got together something bad would always happen; supernatural or otherwise.

Taking a moment to catch himself, Yusei, after a few silent moments, said, "That was one reason why I stayed behind." Catching Jack's attention, the tall, brooding blonde could only ask, "What?" Staring at the sun setting across the horizon, Yusei elaborated, "Part of the reason why I stayed behind wasn't just to protect the city from another Ener-D disaster, but also because I knew that at some point down the line in the future, something bad was going to happen. I knew where it was going to happen, but I didn't know when, and I didn't expect it to have happened when the team would get back together…"

Jack was much more confused now than he was earlier. How could Yusei have known that something was going to happen? Unless he suddenly developed psychic powers, there was no way to know, or… was there? After giving Jack another second to absorb all of this information, Yusei continued. "Of course, I didn't know what would happen, but there was this feeling in the pit of my stomach that I couldn't shake, or ignore. Then, there was the notes that my father left behind…"

At this point Jack was completely lost, but he was hanging onto every word that escaped from Yusei's mouth, like a kid at the movies waiting for something exciting to happen. "Before I became the lead scientist on the team to create the Fortune Mainframe, Zigzix, handed me a folder that Goodwin had kept with him ever since Zero Reverse. How the file survived the explosion, or the collapse of Goodwin's mansion wasn't revealed, but none of that mattered… Tell me, Jack, have you ever heard of something referred to as an energy nexus?"

Jack just stared at his younger brother like he had grown a second head, but decided to play along, and sarcastically responded, "Let's just pretend for the moment that I don't; enlighten me." Ignoring his older brother's tone, Yusei continued; "It's sort of this philosophical phenomena, where scientific and mystical energies converge into a single point that draws - for lack of a better term - evil to its center. My father theorized that based on all of the troubles that Domino City has had over the years, this point existed beneath the city, and after some time, found it to have been real, and guess where the original Ener-D reactor was located…"

Jack's eyes suddenly widened to three times their normal size. If Yusei's implications were true, then that means… "With all of that pent up energy swirling around, it was more than powerful enough to power the city, but… when Roman was seduced by the powers of the King of the Underworld, and unleashed all of that stored energy; he didn't just release all of that energy out into the world, he punched a hole through that singular point, sending shockwaves of that kind of power rippling through the Earth. I believe that it was that event that weakened not only the seals of the Earthbound Immortals and the Crimson Devil, but also whatever else was sealed within that tomb…"

* * *

A/N: Short chapter compared to the last one. There was going to be more, but after touching upon the energy nexus, there wasn't much else that I wanted to include. The way I write my chapters is… rather unorthodox. I don't have any of it written down, or prewritten; it all comes from my head while I'm writing the story. It would probably be best if I did prewrite, and/or begin writing the next chapter before posting a new one, but that's not how my brain works. Stupid brain -_-

Also, I had just finished Assassin's Creed Brotherhood, and just began Revelations, so there was that, writer's block (which I have **Undead Apparition** to thank for helping me out with a few ideas), and of course college courses. And again I'd like to apologize if pissed anyone off at the end of my last chapter with the comment I made.

As for the little bit involving the Temple of Heaven, a man that Sayer has his sights on, and what he holds in his hand, that'll come up later. Not my best chapter, but I'm running on fumes, and can hardly stay awake at the moment, so I'll do my best to make a better chapter next time, until then, you guys know what to do.


	7. First Time

**Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's: War of the Dragons**

**Chapter 7: First Time**

A/N: Hello again, and I apologize for the wait. As most of you guys know, I don't have Wi-Fi at home, and I can't publish any of my stories, or chapters of stories until I'm either at a friend's place, or at school. Because our summer semester is over, we have two weeks before we go back to another fall semester. So this will most likely not be posted until August 14th. Anyway, with my sorry excuse out of the way, I wanted to do something special, I guess. And I'm sure you guys can entail what will happen in this chapter due to the title, so without any further interruptions, let's go!

* * *

_Beijing, China, 24 hours later…_

In the backwater alleyways of one of China's more wore down districts, there sat a man, no older than twenty-five, with his head down between his legs, and his arms hugging his knees to his chest. He wore grey denim jeans, black boots, a silver t-shirt, with a white collared jacket over his shirt, with the sleeves rolled up just an inch below his elbows, carrying what appeared to be all of his belongings in a backpack slung over his right shoulder. The man himself, was of chinese descent, with a shaved head, and grey eyes.

It had been nearly a day since his departure from one of China's most prestigious attractions; the Temple of Heaven. "Departure" wasn't the best description, no, he was more or less, kicked out from the establishment. Apparently, stealing from the tourists and the people living in said temple wasn't the best way of acquiring the necessary amount of money to make a living for himself. After losing his job, and his home, the man in question was running short on options, and he was desperate. Begging and pleading had gotten him nowhere; not to mention it was slow, and time consuming. On the on the other hand, as he had just come to find out, stealing and taking what doesn't belong to you doesn't bode well either; especially, if you get caught. He was lucky to have gotten away when he did, less he would have to find out that his current predicament could be much, _much _worse. Oh, if his parents were alive, he could only imagine how much disdain and dishonor he would have brought to them.

Just then, there was a brilliant flash of white streaking across the dark clouds above, and not a second later, a loud booming and rumbling of thunder was heard, before a downpour was unleashed from the heavens. Scoffing to himself, the man pulled up his hoodie, and closed in on himself as much as he could, given his current position. _"Great, just my fucking luck… If this is how my life has turned out to be, I pray that someone would just end it already…"_ Unbeknownst to the young man, there was another who had been watching him ever since he had laid his eye upon him, waiting for the most opportune moment to make his move. Little did the man hunched over in the corner of the alleyway realize, his prayer would soon be answered, just not in the way he would have expected.

Suddenly, from just outside the young man's peripheral vision, a dark purple flash of light split the air in two. Turning to look at the strange phenomenon, the young man was left astounded and speechless of what he was witnessing. The split that seemingly hung in the air, began to rip open, revealing a dimensional fissure of some sort, not unlike the Duel Monster's card itself. If that wasn't shocking enough, then what transpired next took the man's breath away. As the split ripped open even more, the dimensional fissure suddenly stopped expanding. Then, a figure from within the rip, slowly approached forward, until finally, the rip closed, revealing a man cloaked in shadow; the current atmosphere not helping the young man's vision.

The only thing discernable from the cloaked man that the younger man could see was his face, or half of it, apparently. Besides the cloaked man's one visible green eye, and red hair, the younger gentleman couldn't see anything else on the other man's face; the other half obscured by a plain white mask. Too shocked and stunned by the recent event, the young man could only watch, speechless and helpless as the cloaked man walked the short distance between them. When he was within a foot of the cloaked individual, reason finally surfaced in the young man's facial features, and tried to back away from the approaching figure, only to end up slipping and falling on his ass, desperately crawling away from the man gaining on him, until he could move no longer, with his back pressed up against a wall.

Unable to shake the fear and terror he felt, the young man, crossed his arms over his head, and awaited the inevitable. His eyes closed, and face obscured from his arms, the young man tensed up, when he heard the cloak figure stop before him. Cowering, the young man strained his hearing to hear the cloaked man, from what appeared to be from a different dimension strike him down, only to flinch, when the cloaked individual crouched down to his level, and lay a hand on his arm. Slowly, and surprisingly, gently pulling his arms apart.

Face to face with the young man, the cloaked figure asked him, "What's your name?" Gulping the fear and terror down his throat, the young man took a moment to size up the cloaked individual. Sensing that the man didn't appear to have any ulterior motives, the young man, cautiously answered, "T-Tian S-Sheng…"

Acknowledging the young man's answer, the cloaked individual responded in kind; "Tian Sheng… you may call me, Divine." Still shaking like a leaf in the wind, the young man now identified as Tian Sheng, could only nod stiffly, as he locked his sights with the cloaked man, now referring to himself as Divine. Looking over the disheveled and frightened young man, Divine could tell that just by looking at Tian, that he's had a rough time and is in desperate need of a firm hand to guide him. "Tian… I've been watching you from afar for the last day, and it's clear to me that you've been troubled all your life, and your recent struggles haven't made things any easier. So I've come to help you. I can take you away from here; give you everything you've ever wanted, and wished for."

Pulling a blank, Synchro Duel Monster's card from his cloak, Divine presented him with the blank card, and said, "As a token of gratitude, I present to you this. It may look like nothing now, but it's waiting for someone; someone like you to take hold of it. What do you say, Tian? Will you join me, take up this card and leave this all behind?" Tian, the man in question, looked to the blank card, then to Divine, then back to the card. Tian was no stranger to the Duel Monsters Card Game. While not as popular as it is in Japan and in the west, the card game was a global sport that many people from across the globe, Tian included, enjoyed. One of the few belongings he had left on his person was his duel disk and his deck. And although skeptical of this "Divine's" offer, Tian didn't have any argument against the man; besides, what does he got to lose that he hasn't already lost? So, with great trepidation, Tian nodded, and placed a hand on the blank card.

As soon as his hand made contact with the Duel Monsters Card, a bright, luminescent light engulfed Divine and Tian in its brilliant radiance, and then just as quickly as it appeared, it was gone, taking both Divine and Tian with it, leaving the alleyway empty, and as if nobody was there to begin with.

* * *

_New Domino City, 3 Days later…._

After spending the weekend with her parents before they were to go into hiding, Akiza felt chipper, happier than she had been in recent days. As hard as it was to believe, after talking to her parents and revealing to them how scared and frightened she was about _his_ return, and how scared she felt for them, her friends and for Yusei - knowing that _he_ would do anything within _his_ power to hurt the ones that she loves just to see her break and fall - her parents consoled her, and gave her some advice that she took to heart, after pondering over it during their weekend together.

"_Akiza, my little rose, we understand that this is a troubling time, and we can scarcely imagine what you must be going through, but if you live your life constantly in fear, always looking over your shoulder, waiting for the other shoe to drop, you'll just be making your life that much harder to live. Now, were not saying that you shouldn't just throw caution to the wind, and act like everything is just fine - speaking from experience, if you just pretend that nothing's there, and everything is going to be fine, when reality hits you, and it will, your world will crumble around you - but you shouldn't let your fear rule your life, honey. Live the life that you want to live, and let nothing hold you back…"_

Recalling the words of her father put a smile on her face. She had been thinking and pondering over those words ever since, and it didn't occur to her until the last day she was allowed to stay did her father's words struck true. Ever since hearing about Sayer's escape, feelings and emotions she had long thought were either buried or long forgotten surfaced once again. After confiding with both her mother and Yusei of these feelings - among others - she felt at ease, but there was that lingering fear, and terror that she couldn't shake; even after spending nights in Yusei's strong, protective arms, that fear remained, and it wasn't until she shared this with her father did she realize she was allowing it to take over.

Sure it hadn't been that long, but looking back at it now, even when Sayer wasn't around, she let her fear of the man dictate her life ever since coming back to the City. But now, she was a changed woman, and wouldn't that… _monster_ control her anymore. It was like what her father said, she was still scared out of her mind, and feared when the day would come where she would have to confront that terror, but she was no longer going to allow him, or her fear of him to control and dictate her life. As long as her friends and family, and Yusei stayed by her side, she would remain strong; not just for them, but herself as well.

Speaking of her raven-haired scientist-boyfriend - the term tickling her even now - she could tell that he seemed more pensive and perhaps stressed than he had been when she left. Watching him from the doorway, as he looked over the city from the window, she could tell he was absorbed in his own thoughts, and whatever he was thinking about didn't appear to be good, if his tensed up shoulders were anything to go by. As she continued to gaze over his form, an idea came to mind to ease his stress. Her cheeks blushing crimson from the idea she had come up with. It was something she had been thinking about a lot ever since the reunion party, and even more so after confiding her conflicting feelings with her mother; something the older woman often teased her daughter about during her stay. Keeping that thought at bay for the time being, she pushed herself away from the doorway and approached Yusei from behind, wrapping an arm around his middle, and the other under his left arm, and over his right shoulder, while leaning her head on the other.

Despite him seeing her reflection from the window,Yusei still jumped, and tensed from her touch before relaxing, albeit not very much. Whatever he had on his mind must have been of some importance if she got a reaction like that from him. Pulling him closer, she asked, "Do you want to talk about it?" Removing his hands from his pockets, he gently grabbed a hold of Akiza's hands, and intertwined his fingers with hers, leaning his head down to rest atop of her own, breathing a sigh of both exhaustion and exasperation. After a beat of silence between the two, Akiza patiently waiting for a reply, Yusei spoke, "Just thinking about what Jack and I talked about the other day…"

Piquing in interest, Akiza asked further, "Oh? What about?" Gently removing herself from the taller man, she took a hold of his hand and led him to his bed, sitting atop of the comforter, and pushing her legs underneath her, patting the side next to her. Getting the message Yusei sat next to her, shoulder to shoulder as she rubbed her thumb affectionately over his rough hand. Taking a moment to gather his thoughts, he relayed the same story he told Jack to her...

* * *

_New Domino City, Sector Security HQ, 3 Days Earlier_

_It took all of three seconds before Jack could process what Yusei had just revealed to him, and in classic Jack fashion the first words that came out of his mouth were, "That is complete and utter bullshit. You expect me to believe all that crap? It sounds made up; like a piece of horribly written fanfiction."_

_Yusei didn't know what to expect, but he certainly didn't expect that kind of reaction. Once the shock washed over him, Yusei's ever stoic frown turned into a sly grin, which did not go unnoticed from the blonde giant. Irritably leering his eyes at Yusei, the brute asked, rather demanded, "What's so funny?" Yusei's grin only widened ever so slightly, before he chuckled, and replied, "Nothing, honest. I shouldn't have been surprised that you wouldn't believe me; like I said before, it's… difficult to describe with just words. I didn't believe it at first either…"_

_Turning back to the city below them, Yusei's frown returned, when he muttered just loud enough for his companion to hear him, "Come to think of it, perhaps it would be better if I just showed you…" Before Jack could even come up with a question, Yusei pushed off from the balcony, and turned back to go inside the Sector Security building, beckoning Jack to come with. Intrigued, but at the same time worried for his younger brother, Jack followed him back inside; after all he did come all this way just to see him._

_After exchanging non verbal pleasantries to Lazar, Trudge and Mina, the dynamic duo made their way to another part of the building, walking in silence, until reaching what Jack could only speculate to being Lazar's office. Breaking the silence around them, Jack asked, "What are we doing in Lazar's office? I figured we'd be leaving and heading towards your office in the Science Building?" The office around them looked to be standard; something that you would expect from the director of the city. As Jack looked around, not much of anything had changed since his time here all those years ago. The only noticeable difference was a couple of picture frames placed atop of Lazar's desk, mostly of Lazar and his… odd family._

_Walking around the table and crouching down to the desk's drawers, Yusei replied, "When I came across the old notes that Goodwin managed to salvage and have given to Zigzix for safe keeping and study, I came to Lazar with questions, and after telling me all that I knew now, I decided to leave them in his care, after I had time to look at them myself." _

_After punching in a code that only Lazar and Yusei knew, both of the strapping, young men heard a click before, the drawer was unlocked. Grabbing what he needed from within, Yusei shut the door closed - automatically the drawer relocking itself - stood up, and walked over to Jack's position setting the papers down on the small table between them. Once settled, Jack immediately grabbed the papers and began skimming them over._

_Thirty seconds. Thirty seconds was all that Jack could muster before shaking his head, and blinking rapidly before setting the papers back down. Rubbing his eyes, while pinching the bridge of his nose, Jack was at a loss of words. "What the fuck? I mean seriously, what the fuck?! I'm getting headache just from looking at the damn thing!" In any other situation, Yusei might have actually laughed at his friend's turmoil, but given the circumstances, he only smiled at his discomfort - if only slightly - before trying to come up with a better explanation on his theory of how this so called "Energy Nexus" is connected to Sayer and whatever escaped from within that ancient tomb in Peru._

"_It was mind boggling for me at first too. But after a given enough time for me to look through all of what remains of parents' notes, I slowly began to come to understand, if only just small bits and pieces, since from what I can tell, all of this is just a small fraction of what my parents' team had at the time. In order to power the first Ener-D reactor, a sufficient energy source powerful enough to supply the entire city was needed. _

_Since manufacturing that kind of energy from nothing wasn't impossible, but still incredibly difficult to produce at the time, they opted on trying to find an external energy source, and borrow if from there, but while the team was able to find external power sources, even when combined together, it wasn't sufficient enough to power the city for a seemingly unlimited amount a time."_

_Choosing this point to break into Yusei's monologuing, Jack asked, "Wait, 'unlimited amount of time?' There's no such thing as an 'unlimited power supply', or energy source. Everything needs to cooldown at some point." _

_Nodding, Yusei replied, "Right, nothing can go on seemingly forever. At some point, like you just said, everything needs a cooldown period, before it can start up again. However, one of the properties that Ener-D was suppose to have was to filter out any unnecessary, or excess energy it didn't need, and disperse it into the air around us. It wasn't toxic, nor was it harmful to the environment around us. The original idea behind Ener-D was to provide better power and energy around the city, while at the same time try to clean up all of the pollution in the air._

_Anyway, back to my original point, the team needed an external power source, one that already existed before they could begin, that's when my parents' stumbled upon an old myth, or legend. What's left of the notes doesn't say what this 'legend' was, or what is was named, or called. According to the notes that remain, what my father dubbed as the 'Energy Nexus' in laymen's terms some sort of naturally occurring funnel that draws all kinds of energy to its source. Overtime, that energy builds up until it reaches a peak, and then that energy is then released, but not by any means I've heard of before._

_Based on what my parents could find on this obscure myth, drawing in all that energy has a negative side effect. According to the notes, what they were able to uncover regarding the legend was that once enough energy was pooled together, that energy would need to disperse, and based on what little I could find within the notes, whenever that funnel of energy had reached its peak, a disaster of some kind, be it natural, or man-made would occur. And when I say disaster, I mean disasters that you only ever hear about once in a generation."_

_Pausing at this point in his story, he looked over to Jack, silently asking if there was anything the tall blonde wanted to ask before Yusei continued with his 'tale'. Surprisingly, Jack didn't say anything, instead he had that look in his eye, a look that he hasn't seen since they were kids; whenever one of them was so enraptured into a story, all of their attention and focus was trained on whatever they were hearing or seeing. Bringing a small smile to Yusei's face, he continued with his story._

"_Back when we were outside, I mentioned that whatever this 'Energy Nexus' was, the energy it pooled together somehow attracted 'evil', or 'bad things' to happen? This is what I meant. Based on what little was recorded here, disasters the likes of which I have never witnessed, or want to witness ever again would occur shortly after an unspecified amount of time whenever the energy within that funnel, or point reached its peak. But after said disaster ran its course, all of that energy would have been dispersed, or released, and then, slowly, but surely, energy would begin to pool back to that spot. And during that time, usually, again according to what notes remain, during that span of time when that energy would begin to come back together - which based on what I suspect, the larger the 'disaster' the longer it takes for said energy to come back - which could take years, possibly even decades, no disasters of that kind of magnitude surface during that period._

_Using some kind of geographical map, some broken mathematics and formulas, and using whatever the myth or legend had said about this 'funnel' or 'Energy Nexus' location, the team was able to pinpoint the center or the focal point of its location, which just so happened to be beneath the Old Ener-D reactor's location, in what is now once upon a time was the B.A.D. area in Satellite. Afterwards, after careful deliberation, and chalking the so called disasters the 'myth' had mentioned as nothing more than scare tactics and fairy tales, the team began construction, and after a number of months and perhaps years - the notes don't specify how long it took the team to build the original Ener-D reactor - Ener-D was finally finished._

_However, before they could start testing, my parents' were the first to notice, that while they had more than enough energy to sustain the city for long periods of time, the energy beneath the 'Nexus' had reached its peak, and if they were to begin testing, the resulting disaster would have been catastrophic. After being shutdown and replaced by the Goodwin brothers; Roman, after being seduced by the powers of the King of the Underworld, and after meeting Z-ONE, he initiated the start up sequence, and overloaded the central control panel, destroying the failsafes. Based on the notes that were left by my parents in Rex's care, the resulting explosion of Ener-D's energy coupled with the energy of the Nexus beneath it would have wiped not just Domino, but likely all of Japan off the map. Realizing what would happen if the blast radius wasn't reduced, after giving Rex Ancient Fairy Dragon, Black Rose Dragon, Stardust Dragon, and Red Dragon Archfiend, and placing me in a pod; hoping beyond hope that I would somehow beat the odds and survive, my father went to try to stop the meltdown and lower the blast radius as much as possible, while my mother had drawn the guards away keeping them away from him and the small team of people that stayed behind… and the rest is history…"_

_Releasing a shuddering breath, Yusei took a moment to collect his thoughts. When he had learned that his parents were apart of the team that created Ener-D in the first place, he knew that they had died within the blast, but Roman never revealed to Yusei the depths of just how involved they were. Even when he confronted Z-ONE, and met the ghostly apparition of his father again, he had no idea that his parents sacrificed themselves to save the others, not until he came across the notes that now sit in between himself and a shocked and stunned Jack Atlas. _

_After confronting Lazar, and demanding to know what the notes that Goodwin kept to himself all of these years; the clown director confirmed Yusei's suspicions and what the notes corroborated and implied. When the roller coaster of emotions passed, and Yusei had time to think, he had asked Lazar why did Rex keep all of this a secret. The midget explained that despite everything that had happened between the brothers and his parents, Rex still considered them as friends, and promised to keep their secrets and the last of their thoughts that were written within those notes close to him at all times._

_Yusei didn't know how long he had spaced out and let his mind wander, but it was broken when he felt a heavy hand on his shoulder. Looking at the hand and arm that belonged to the person sitting next to him, Yusei saw an emotion he rarely saw on the face of his rival, sadness and a hint of understanding. Yusei's facial expression actually for once in what felt like an eternity had morphed into a 'real' smile. Nodding to his friend, telling him he was okay, Jack removed his hand, and after a moment of silence between the two brothers, and an awkward cough coming from the blonde, Jack asked, "So… if what I'm understanding is true, then what? Zero Reverse was the latest man-made 'disaster' that was indirectly caused by this so called 'Energy Nexus? But if that's true, then what about Z-ONE and Yliaster? They showed up around 6 months after the Dark Signers, and according to what you had just told me, the next 'disaster' wouldn't have been a ruined city from the future falling on top of us."_

_Yusei actually laughed for a brief moment, before replying, "I never said it was an exact science. Plus there are brief mentions within the last of those notes that speculate that there are these 'aftershocks', that can occur, but beyond that there's nothing else mentioning another 'disaster' occurring at such a short amount of time. But based on this City's history, going back to before it was New Domino, during Yugi Muoto and Jaden Yuki's times, I can safely assume that such 'aftershocks' aren't just one time occurrences."_

_Jack grunted in agreement, then began to come to understand what Yusei was getting at. "OK, so , if I'm piecing all of this together correctly, your thinking that when Zero Reverse occurred, even if the blast radius of the explosion was brought to a minimum, the energy that was unleashed was much more powerful than it had been ever before; not only did it release the Earthbound Immortals, but you believe that the resulting energy surge also weakened the seal inside that tomb you and Greiger checked out when you went to Peru recently?"_

_Yusei nodded, and then said, "Yes. When we went inside, there was a clear connection to the Crimson Dragon there. I can only speculate as to what that connection might be, but if the Crimson Dragon's magic was involved in sealing whatever was hidden in the secret chamber, then the only way I can figure how the seal was weakened enough for a team researchers to destroy the remainder of the seal, was if a sufficient enough of an energy surge was powerful enough to do so. And the only energy surge that could have had that kind of power in the last couple of decades is…"_

"_Zero Reverse", Jack finished. Yusei once nodded in agreement, and then decided to poke a little fun at Jack, "Yeah. You know the next time you get to see Carly, remind her that you're not just a pretty face." Just as Yusei planned, Jack managed to actually blush, if only slightly, and in retaliation the raven-haired scientist received a punch in the shoulder. For a moment the two brothers laughed, forgetting all about all of the dangers that lay before them, but eventually, they had to return to reality, and there was something else that had been bothering Jack since he came back, but he hasn't had the chance to voice his concerns, not until now._

"_Yusei, there's something else you're not telling me… Actually, there's been something you've been keeping from us ever since we came back. The twins might not have noticed because they're still so young. Crow probably hasn't noticed since he's been spending all of his time with the kids he used to look after in Satellite. And Akiza, well, she's… had a lot on her plate since she's been back, but ever since, I'm not sure what you're hiding, but you've been... I don't know… just different… What is it you're not telling us?"_

_Yusei had known that one of, if not most of his friends were going to catch on sooner or later, and truth be told, he was glad to have to share this with someone; he just didn't think it would have happened before the announcement of the tournament. Sighing exasperatedly, and leaning his back in the chair he was sitting in, Yusei rubbed his face, before he looked Jack in the eye, and said, "You're right, something has been going on with me, for a long time actually… I didn't come to this decision lightly, I've had a long time to think about it, and... " releasing another breath, Yusei prepared himself for the inevitable shit storm he was about to walk into, " At this year's upcoming 10th Anniversary Fortune Cup, the winner of the tournament, will get the chance to face me, the current King of Games, and that duel… it… afterwards, I'm retiring from pro duelling; permanently."_

* * *

_New Domino City, Current Time, Yusei's Home_

Akiza just sat there, mouth hung agape, a hand barely covering it, and her eyes wide open as she stared at Yusei. After taking a few moments to absorb all of the information Yusei had just recently told her, she practically jumped from her spot on the bed - surprising Yusei - and then pulled her boyfriend into a Martha crushing hug, coincedently, shoving his face into her bosom. Running her hands through his hair, she spoke sweetly to him, almost like a mother comforting their child when faced with an impossible decision; which in many ways, was the exact predicament Yusei had found himself in, besides being unable to breathe…

After some time passed, Yusei lightly tapped Akiza's arm to get her attention, when she asked him, "What is it Yusei?" The raven-haired scientist managed to say, "Can't… breathe…" Immediately, Akiza released Yusei from her bear hug, and after realizing what she had done, and where she had Yusei's head buried, she blushed as much as the human body would allow. Poking her index fingers together, she looked at anything besides Yusei, as she tried and failed to come up with an apology. As for Yusei, after catching his breath, looked back to Akiza, and notice her posture; shyly looking away from him, poking her fingers together, her arms unintentionally pushing her breasts together, making them appear larger - causing Yusei to blush, if only slightly - and a blush to match Black Rose Dragon's red rose petals. It took his breath away just how beautiful she was. Cute, adorable, smart, sexy, hot, strong, loyal, absolutely breath taking. He often wondered to himself just how lucky he was to deserve such a person in his life.

Putting a hand to her shoulder, getting her attention, she jumped when she realized Yusei was staring at her, and if it was even possible, her already incredibly red face, blushed even a darker shade. To Yusei, it looked like she might pass out, if she blushed any harder. Chuckling at his girlfriend's - the word sounded almost foreign to Yusei, but not at all unpleasant - position, he just smiled - a "real smile" this time - rubbing his thumb on her shoulder in affectionate circles, and pushed a stray hair back behind her ear, never looking away from her big, beautiful, caramel, amber brown eyes, trying to calm her down.

But as for Akiza, she just stared back into Yusei's royal blue, sapphire gems, with love and affection. Noticing the look he had n his eye, and the way he was looking at her, and the way he was touching-comforting her, that thought-that idea she had in her head just a few minutes ago that made her blush up a storm, it wasn't an idea, or just a thought anymore; it was a plan of action. Placing her arms around Yusei's neck, she drew his lips to hers before he had a chance to ask what she was doing. As their lips connected, fireworks exploded in Akiza's mind. Sure they had kissed before, but knowing now that their relationship was going to the next level, it made all the difference in the world.

At first, Yusei was shocked still, his brilliant mind unable to comprehend the sudden turn of events in such a short span of time, but Akiza grew more daring, threading her hands in his hair, and pushing and rubbing up against him, Yusei threw caution and logic to the wind for now, and reciprocated Akiza's attention. His hands framed her face, one staying on her cheek, while the wrapped around her neck, and threaded his fingers in her hair. The two stayed lip locked until their lungs burned for air, only then did they separate from the other.

With foreheads pressed together, both of them looking at the other with bedroom eyes, their hot breaths mingling together, the silence between them was broken when Yusei asked, "Not that I'm complaining, but what was that?" Akiza, just as short of breath as Yusei, answered, "I know that this _thing_ between us has been going on for years, and after everything that's happened… and everything that _will_ happen… I don't want to live in fear anymore. Not from Sayer, and certainly not from what I was too afraid to do before. I know that this has been moving quick, quicker than I thought it would, but I don't care anymore. Believe me when I say this, Yusei, I want this. I want _you_."

Yusei's only reply, before drawing their lips back together was the same thing he said all those years ago back in Poppo Time's Garage; "Me too." Then, all hell broke loose. Yusei crashed their lips together, pulling Akiza with him as he laid them down in his bed, with Akiza on top of him. Grinding their bodies together, Akiza could feel the heat spreading throughout her body, pooling together between her thighs. It reached a fevered pitch when Yusei's tongue probed her mouth and she willingly let him, unable to fight back the moans that threatened to escape; instead she happily let them out. What really got her going was when Yusei groaned in her mouth, as her hands wandered over his body, pawing the muscles that were hidden beneath his shirt, and when she bit his bottom lip seductively.

In response, Yusei's hands travelled the glorious expanse of her own temple. First, rubbing her arms affectionately, before delving below; trailing his fingertips along the sides of her nightgown, just barely making contact with her creamy pale skin beneath, sending shivers of delight and arousal coursing through her veins, even getting a moan or two from the woman above him. Then, feeling daring, Yusei's hands pushed the end of her nightgown, and bunched it up at her waist, then travelled down her hips, before finally finding his target, and squeezing and kneading his rough hands into her ass. Unable to keep quiet, Akiza mewled in pleasure, the shivers his actions sent across her form leading straight to her core, she pushed off of Yusei, before grabbing the opposite ends of her nightgown, pulling the fabric above her head, then tossing it unceremoniously to the floor.

For just a moment, Akiza stayed still, straddling Yusei's lap as he looked at her like he's never had before. Sitting atop of the raven-haired scientist, Akiza was wearing a matching set of black bra and panties, with little red roses dotted across the fabrics. As she gazed back at the man beneath her, she could feel a little bit of wetness drip down her thigh. Blushing at the fact, she never took her eyes away from him. Even though she was nervous and admittedly scared more than she cared to admit, she was ready to do this, and after how far she's come, she wasn't backing out now.

From Yusei's point of view, he could only stare at her as if she was a goddess. He knew that she was beautiful, had known for years, but seeing her like this, her pale skin illuminated by the moonlight, contrasting with the dark colors of her undergarments, and the way her hair was slightly dishevelled, as she stared down at him with half lidded eyes, and with her bottom lip sucked in between her teeth, he only wished they could have done this sooner. _"Better late than never…"_

Sitting up, Yusei wrapped his arms around her, grinding into her from below, causing her to release a breathy moan from her pink lips. Kissing, licking and teething from her jawline, to her ear down to her neck, Akiza felt as if she had died and gone to heaven. High pitched moans escaped her, as she gripped onto his shoulder with one hand, while the other threaded through his raven locks, pulling and pushing ever so slightly, earning deep groans, and even a growl from the beneath her, as he continued his path down, until he reached her collarbone, and bit down, sucking the creamy flesh between his teeth, leaving a noticeable hickey behind.

Akiza screeched as her grip tightened, and her body shook uncontrollably, unable to keep the pleasure from escalating. Yusei stopped for a moment and pulled away just far enough to see her face, as her body seemed to have calmed down, and her grip on his shoulder and hair lightened. Looking at her now, breathing heavily, her eyes half closed, and her body relaxing in his hold, Yusei knew Akiza had her first orgasm, but just to be sure he asked, "Akiza, did you just…?"

Leaving the question open, he didn't want to scare her or offend her in any way. From what he remembers, Akiza had told him she never climaxed during any of her few and far between sexual experiences, even when she hadn't known him during her time with Sayer, hinting that most, if not all of those experiences weren't very good. But instead of letting the fact that he was the first and only person to make her climax - even before getting to the actual event - get to his head, he wanted to know if she wanted this to continue.

As for Akiza, she just laid her head on Yusei's shoulder as the world around her started to spinning and slow down. Was this what it felt like to experience an orgasm? To have someone else bring you to climax? Of course, Akiza knew the answer was yes, but she had no idea it would be like this. Either she was very sensitive to Yusei's touch, or he was a sex God; probably both. When her vision cleared, she blinked rapidly, trying to gather her bearings when she heard Yusei ask her, "Akiza, did you just…?" Looking at Yusei, she could see the love, but also the concern in his eyes. Removing the hand from his shoulder, she cupped Yusei's cheek and brought their lips together in a chaste kiss, before separating. "Yes, Yusei… I - that was… wow… but to answer your silent question…. I'd like to continue, if… you want to, that is…"

Staring back at her, Yusei blushed at her compliment, but replied by bringing her back down to his lips, this time moving at a steady pace, slowly grinding their bodies together, as his hands travelled the length of her back, caressing the tensed up muscles beneath her skin, then stopping at her waist, wrapping an arm around her, and shifting their positions with ease; now he was on top of her. Breathing heavily, and staring back at the other, Akiza had one leg propped up around Yusei's hip, while her hands dragged down Yusei's chest and torso, feeling the rippling muscles beneath his shirt, earning a groan and a moan from the man up top.

Giggling, Akiza put a finger in between her teeth eyeing Yusei seductively, as her other hand shifted lower and lower… until it reached the hem of his shirt. Just before she could pull it up, Yusei stopped her, grabbed her wrist and pushed it down, now hovering above her. Akiza pouted cutely, before her lips formed a small "o". Then her expression shifted into a devilish grin, before whispering hotly in his ear, "Does Yusei like to be the one in control?"

In response, Yusei rubbed the knee in between her legs up against her core, causing the redhead to throw her head back just as Yusei grabbed her other hand and brought it up above her to join the first. As he continued his ministrations, Akiza's other leg, wrapped around his hips, trying to pull him closer, but unfortunately for her, Yusei was having none of it; instead he chuckled deeply, and pressed his forehead to hers, as he replied back husky sending shivers up and down her spine, "Does little Akiza like to be the submissive one?"

Biting her bottom lip and pulling on it ever so slightly, Akiza's legs shook, as she mewled and moaned in Yusei's mouth before he pulled away, earning a whimper from the woman below him, as she frantically tried to find the friction she so desperately wanted, but couldn't have as Yusei drew his knee back. Looking at her from above, Yusei said once again in that deep, husky and sexy tone, that made Akiza just wet with arousal, "Besides, you don't get to take off my shirt, since you didn't let me remove your nightgown." Akiza whimpered in disapproval, much like a child would whine when they didn't get what they wanted. Chuckling at her displeasure, Akiza could only watch with rapt attention as Yusei lifted the muscle shirt from his body, and tossed it to the other side of the room, joining her nightgown.

Akiza could only stare at the adonis above her. She could even feel herself drooling at the sight, but for the moment she didn't care. Sherry was right, Yusei wasn't just handsome, he was hot! He wasn't burly, or overly muscular like Trudge; instead, he was lean muscled, with an athletic body. Toned torso, chiseled chest, broad shoulders and strong arms. She knew when she saw him at the airport that he looked a little bit bigger, and now she knew why; just like she suspected he had bulked up a bit since the last time she saw him. Then again, she shouldn't have been surprised too much.

He grew up in an environment where each day was struggle to survive. His body had to adapt and evolve to his surroundings otherwise he could've died. Then of course, during his rebellious teenage years he had joined a Duel Gang made up of his closest friends and continued to strive to live in the Satellite, further developing his body. Finally, he also worked with machinery daily, improving and further improving the muscle in his body. After coming to New Domino, and spending two years in the city, Yusei's body hadn't changed all that much, and then there was the eight years that the team was apart. Akiza could only speculate that another reason for him to workout was to keep himself in shape, and boy… did it do wonders for him…

Akiza was brought out of her reverence, when she heard chuckling. Looking to the source, Yusei replied, "Akiza… you were drooling…" Crossing her arms under her bust, she huffed and pouted, turning away from Yusei, even though she had her legs wrapped around his middle, and he was practically straddling her. "Well, excuse me, if I can't enjoy the view…"

Chuckling some more, Yusei easily removed her arms, and hovered above her again, but this time his hands were planted on both sides of her head, leaving her hands free. Which she then circled around his neck and pulled him to her. As his chuckling died down, the two looked each other in the eye, searching for that unspoken truth between them, before finally meeting each other halfway again, letting their lips and tongues dance dance between them.

Pulling Akiza into a seated position with him, Yusei separated from her lips before he began attacking the other side, trailing his lips along the path of her jawline, ear and neck. Akiza moaned, and leg locked Yusei, grinding their bodies against each other, but this time without the interference of Yusei's shirt. As their bodies continued their dance, Akiza could feel her nipples hardening and erecting against the fabric of her bra, just as her heightened arousal as her panties soaked through. Moving her neck to let Yusei have better access she nearly shrieked once again when Yusei bit down on her neck, and began sucking at the skin just as he did earlier.

Her hands gripped onto Yusei's shoulders as if her life depended on it, even dragging her nails down the taut muscles of his back, leaving noticeable red marks in their wake. Yusei didn't mind, however, as his own hands reached across her back, and like the flip of a switch, her bra unclasped, and were removed her shoulders. Moving away from her neck, Yusei gazed at the firm, round cups of flesh in front of him, before muttering under his breath, "Beautiful…" Akiza heard him, and despite how far they've come, Akiza blushed again. Tugging on his hair to get his attention, she looked into his eyes and nodded to the man's silent question. Even in the bedroom Yusei was a gentleman, albeit a rather teasing one.

Taking one of her round globes in a han, he gently rolled it with his palm, before rubbing his fingers along her hardened erect nipple just as gently, causing the girl above him to shake with unbridled desire. Looking to the other, Yusei opened his mouth slightly, licking the protrusion of flesh, before wrapping his lips around it and sucking softly. Akiza's muffled moans were broken as she released a high pitch wail as she gripped onto Yusei harder than before, achieving another mind blowing climax, and they haven't even gotten to the best part.

Yusei didn't stop this time, instead he switched his ministrations, earning another scream from the redhead as she climaxed again right after the other, her whole body shaking and shivering, as she couldn't handle the pleasure she was experiencing. When she managed to calm down again, Yusei laid her back down on the bed, so she could catch her breath. Rubbing his rough and calloused hands affectionately and softly along her sides, Yusei brought her down from her high as gently as he could. When she opened her eyes again, she didn't say a word, instead she only nodded for him to continue.

Hovering over her once more, he allowed her hands to roam over his arms and upper body, her nails scratching at the skin, earning her groans from the man above as he continued his trail of love bites, licks and kisses down from her neck to her chest. As for herself, as one of Akiza's hands ran through his raven hair, scratching at the scalp, the other drifted slowly lower, past his torso, across his abdomen feeling each dip of the rippling muscles beneath her fingertips, until finally it reached the waistband of his sweatpants. Yusei flinched, and raised his head to look at Akiza. She looked flustered, embarrassed, and even a little intimidated, but when she looked back, Yusei gave her slight nod, and then rolled over on his back, making it easier for her to remove his pants.

Taking a deep breath, Akiza got up from the bed, and shakingly placed her hands on the straps of her underwear. Turning around, Akiza began to slowly remove the last of her undergarments, bending over as she gave Yusei a front row seat to her glistening folds, a thin translucent trail of her fluids attached to her panties as she finally dropped them to the floor. Standing there in all of her naked glory, when she turned back around she was surprised by the sight.

Yusei eyed her like a tiger hunting its prey. Lust, love and equal bouts of affection reflected in his eyes, as his daze lingered over her form. But the most surprising and shocking new revelation was the bulge threatening to protrude from within. Akiza felt herself shiver as Yusei's gaze hardened, and it wasn't the only thing "hardening" from her soon to be raven-haired lover.

Grinning seductively, Akiza made a show of swaying her hips, before reaching the foot of the bed, and slowly crawled up to Yusei's position, making sure to show off her curves as she inched her way closer. First she kissed the area just above the hem of his sweatpants, then drifted up higher, until she reached his navel, licking around his belly button, before moving on. As she drew further up, she kissed, licked and teethed each of his abdominal muscles, causing the man below to shiver and groan.

Based on his reactions, he was clearly enjoying what she was doing. Feeling bolder, she pressed her breasts up against his body, dragging herself along the way, feeling up every inch of his chiseled form beneath her. Once she made it to his chest, she licked the area around his nipples, before biting them, earning her more groans and chills from Yusei. Smirking, she continued to lick, bite, teeth and kiss, every part of him, until she came face to face with her raven-haired boyfriend, and pressed their lips together for a moment before breaking away and straddling his waist.

Flipping her hair over her shoulder, her seductive grin transformed into a devilish smirk, as she began to grind up against his growing erection hidden underneath the final barrier that lie between them. As she continued her ministrations, her hands pawed, and clawed at his chest, before drifting lower, feeling every dip and ripple of his muscles just as he continued to rub and knead his hands over her waist, hips and butt. Akiza continued to admire and appreciate his chiseled form, taking in all of his battle scars he's earned over the years, before dipping lower, whispering hotly in his ear, "Enjoying the show, so far?"

She smiled a little as she saw goosebumps appear along the area of where she had whispered, just as Yusei replied, "God, yes…" _That _certainly got her attention. Looking into his eyes, she could see the truth layered in his words, just as she watched the emotions of what he was feeling; love, lust, affection desire, and she didn't just want to see them, she wanted to _feel_. Pressing her forehead up against his, Akiza then said, "Then on to the main event." Licking his lips as she finished, she was about to draw away, when she was suddenly flipped over, yelping in surprise, as Yusei reversed their positions.

Grinning at Akiza's disheveled and breathless form, Yusei leaned in real close, and said, "You talk too much." Before Akiza could utter another word, the man above pressed his lips against hers, quickly shutting her down. Removing himself from the bed, Yusei pushed down his sweatpants and revealed his raging hard on, _"standing at attention" _in Akiza's direction.

Just as Yusei gazed at her earlier as if she was a Greek Goddess; Akiza shared similar looks as she stared at Yusei as if he was a Greek God. But what really grabbed her attention, was the organ that was attached in between Yusei's thighs. It wasn't as if she had never seen a penis before, after all, this wasn't exactly her first time. She was also a medically trained professional. Although her work as a pediatrician was focused on children; she studied human biology and anatomy while in college, so it wasn't as if she wasn't familiar with seeing one. However, be that as it may, Yusei was… lack for a better term… _bigger_ than she expected.

He wasn't abnormally or unrealistically large as seen in adult films, or in hentai mangas, but it was still intimidating to look at, and even more intimidating to think that it was soon going to go inside her. If she remembered correctly from her medical textbooks, most men had a penial size of approximately anywhere between 5~6 inches in length, and 1~2 inches in girth. Yusei, however, appeared to have a length of approximately 7, possibly 8 inches, and a girth of around 3~3.5 inches. Akiza was also familiar with that the size of the penis wasn't the most important factor; there was also the matter of technique and foreplay to consider, as well as the woman's vaginal cavity; which not many people knew about, and guessing from her approximation of Yusei's length and girth, plus her own additional arousal, she was shaking once again, realizing Yusei would be stretching her to her limit, without it becoming unbearably painful.

Shaking away her fear and nerves, she noticed the way that Yusei was looking at her. Crawling on the bed, and sitting on his knees, he took her hand, and rubbed his thumb over the palm of it softly, before gently asking her, "Akiza… are you sure about this…? If you're scared or nervous, we can stop, if you want. I don't want to force you into anything you don't want to do." Smiling at Yusei's gentle and caring nature, Akiza closed her eyes, smiled and shook her head, grasping Yusei's hand in her own, then replying, "No, Yusei. I want this. I want to do this with you. You just… surprised me was all… heh. Um, but… I'm still sort of new to all this… you know with my past experiences and everything… so uh… what I'm trying to say is-mmphh!"

Stopping her rambling with a chaste kiss, Yusei smiled back, and replied, "You really do talk too much sometimes. And I know to go slow. I want this to be a memorable experience not just for the both of us. So I'll take my time; just follow my lead, okay?" Akiza could only nod, with her mouth hung agape, and her breathing speeding up. All remnants of playful teasing and seductive glances were gone. All that remained as the two of them discovering new and exciting things about the other.

Yusei kissed and caressed Akiza's body gently, as if she might break from the slightest touch; worshipping the soft creamy pale flesh of her skin, and the taut muscles beneath every dip and curve of her chest and hips. Akiza's hands fisted into the bedsheets, and her teeth bit down into her bottom lip, as she shifted her legs, rubbing her thighs together as moans escaped her lips, and shivers racked her body, as Yusei delivered what he had promised tenfold. Her body was a temple, and he planned on worshipping every inch of it with his strong, yet gentle hands.

As he drifted lower, beneath her breasts, and the flat toned, portion of her abdomen, Yusei responded in kind to her earlier actions, livking and kissing her navel, causing the redhead to moan and shiver once more. Then just when she believed he was going to touch her "special place", that placed that ached and begged to be touched since the beginning, Yusei shifted his focus to her thighs and calves, earning a whine and a whimper from the doctor that was currently puddy in his hands.

Chuckling at her discomfort, Yusei simply said, "Relax. I want to draw this out as long as I can. It'll make it your climax all that more satisfying. Trust me, Akiza, just be patient~" as he continued his ministrations from before; kissing, and massaging the muscles beneath the flesh. Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on perspective, Akiza try as she might, was unable to keep her moans to herself any longer. After thoroughly preparing her body, Yusei dropped down in between her legs, and gently pushed her already quaking and shaking thighs apart. Settling himself, Yusei took one last look at his redheaded lover, just to be sure that she was ready, because after this, both of them knew there would be no going back.

Receiving a shaky nod in return, Yusei dove right in, licking along the length of her slit, just getting a taste, at first. Akiza on the other hand dropped her head back and gasped at the sudden sensation that racked through her body. It had been so long since she felt like this, she never wanted it to stop, and the scary part that was equally exciting was that Yusei was just getting started. After getting a reaction like that, Yusei knew that what he was about to next was going to shatter her expectations. Parting her folds, he got to see just how _wet_ she really was. He was honestly surprised; he knew his touch had an effect on her, but this was something else. If Yusei wasn't careful, he might actually break her…

And although there was a primal part of him that wanted to indulge that fantasy - simply flipping her over, taking her from behind and watch as she squirmed, screamed, and shook with unbridled and unmatched pleasure, as he claimed her - Yusei knew that Akiza was too close to him to do something like that to her, especially with their first time together. Pushing that part of him aside for now - there would be other times [_hopefully_] to get more _creative_ in their love making, but for now…

After getting a good look at her drenched and soaked pussy, Yusei slowly inched a finger inside of her, causing the woman above him to pant and gasp in rapid succession. He continued this slow pace until he reached as far as he could go, right up to the knuckle, before pulling out again at the same slow pace. Yusei learned that although she was very much aroused, she was still incredibly tight; indicating that it has been a very long time since her last experience. Knowing that it would be painful for the both of them, Yusei knew he needed to stretch her out a bit more before they moved on.

So that's what he did. Pushing and pulling his finger in and out, slowly increasing the pace, but keeping it steady as her body became adjusted. Akiza mewled and moaned as this continued, unable to form any semblance of words, nor string them together to coherently forma sentence. Just when she thought her world couldn't spin around anymore, Yusei added a second finger, and before long a third. And Akiza couldn't hold back anymore, as she screamed his name as she could feel herself right on the edge. Realizing it was time, Yusei spread his fingers from within her, and contorted his middle finger at a ninety degree angle, rubbing and dragging his finger across her G-spot, then latching onto her clit, and began sucking and licking it simultaneously, while his other hand below her valley beneath her, and using some of her own fluids as a lubricant, fingered her backdoor,tripling her pleasure, and Akiza couldn't take the overwhelming pleasure.

Shrieking, she came, and she came _hard_. With one hand latching onto his raven haired locks, and the other gripping and twisting the bedsheets in a death grip, she repeated Yusei's name like a mantra, grinding her body against Yusei's face, as he continued to suck and lick at her overflowing juices. Her mind was frazzled and foggy, fireworks exploding all across her body as she shook uncontrollably for several minutes. As for the rest of her, her arms felt heavy like lead, her legs were practically jello, and her eyes were half-lidded and had this far off, far away look to them. Her back was still arched, and her toes seemed to be just now uncurling themselves.

After regaining her sense, and the world around her began to reappear in a multitude of colors, not just stark white, with stars in the sky, her gaze fell upon the man that did this to her, and the looks of shock, amazement, confusion, and concern didn't go unnoticed, but Akiza was still a little too far off to really care about that now. Whatever that feeling was, that hot unmatched and unbridled force that exploded deep inside of her… she wanted to feel that again, but this time she wanted to share it with the one who brought her her such bliss.

Before Yusei could ask Akiza if she was okay - admittedly, he was worried he might've gone too far, she took him by the hand and crashed her lips against his, tasting herself on his lips, moaning as their tongues sucked on the other, before separating with a thin trail of saliva between them. Just as he was about to open his mouth again, Akiza shushed him with a finger, and said in a low tone, "I'm okay, Yusei. Better than okay, actually. That was… fantastic~ And I want to go further. We've come this far, and I don't want to stop now."

Staring into her eyes just to be sure, he saw no traces of second guessing or second thoughts; she was ready, and she truly wanted to do this. Nodding, Yusei took one hand and interlocked his fingers with hers, while the other hand guided his rock-hard, pulsing shaft inside Akiza's wet heat. The tip parted her folds as her eyes slowly began to widen and her breath picked up, but her gaze never left Yusei's face, just as he continued to stare back at her; holding to his promise that he would do this slowly.

Just as the head passed through, Yusei stilled for a moment, taking Akiza's other hand and interlocking their fingers together again, with his head pressed against hers, their eyes and lips just inches apart. Feeling her grip tighten, and her head nod, Yusei continued his snail's pace, slowly inching his way inside, causing whimpers and moans to come from the redhead as his cock stretched her to her limit before his crotch hit her waist.

Both parties released a deep, guttural moan as they finally connected with one another. Stilling himself for a moment, Yusei had to concentrate on not blowing his load so soon. Even after all the foreplay and the touching and the kissing, Akiza was still rather tight, hugging him like a vice. It took all of his willpower not to let go right then and there. He usually had a lot of stamina, but with all of the time that's passed between them, not to mention actually doing it with someone he truly loves, even he had his limits.

When he felt that it was okay to move, he did so just as slowly as he did when he started. Moans, whines, groans and growls passed between them as time seemed to slow to a standstill. It was just the two of them now, connected together. The outside world vanished. Their eyes locked together, never breaking apart. Their breaths mixing and mingling together, as Yusei took long, slow and deep strokes. As this continued, seemingly on end, Akiza's hands tightened their grip every now and again, her breathing picking up faster as Yusei continued to hit all of the right spots, never faltering or wavering in his motions.

Akiza's legs began to shake once more, as crossed them over Yusei's waist, her hands gripping Yusei's so tightly the knuckles became white. Tears began to prick at the edges of her eyes as the sensual and passionate sensation that has been building inside her once again was close to coming to a breaking point. Nevertheless, despite the deathgrip on his hands, and the tears falling down Akiza's rosy cheeks, and the way both his and her breathing picked up, Yusei not once stopped, or change the pace of his thrusts, until finally Akiza broke her hold on his hands, wrapping them around his shoulders gripping and clawing at his back as her dam was oh so close to breaking. Shifting their bodies, from the change in their positions, Yusei cupped Akiza's face in his hands, threading his fingers through her violet-mahogany-red hair, bringing their lips together in a passionate kiss, as his thrusts became deeper, when finally, her muffled screams indicated her final, explosive climax, taking Yusei with her, as he groaned inside her mouth as his muscles tightened and his seed was expunged into Akiza's depths.

Their bodies shook as their pleasure washed over them, Akiza's more than Yusei's, since he was more experienced. Careful not to crush her with his weight, Yusei removed himself from her hold, then collapsed next to her, breathing heavily, and with his heart racing. When he looked over to his side, Akiza was in a state similar to when he was between her legs. But as he took a closer look, she had actually fallen asleep, unconsciously cuddling to his side. Breathing a relieved sigh, Yusei pulled her closer to his chest, as he tossed the comforter over the both of them. As his body began to relax, his mind was pulling him into a deep sleep, and just before his eye closed for a final time this night, he kissed the top of Akiza's head, and whispered, "Goodnight, my white rose…"

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A/N: And done! With this chapter at least. To be honest, I actually didn't want to go this far into the chapter because it felt like it was too soon in the story, but at the same time, I couldn't get the idea in my head to go away, until I thought about, and I also had trouble fingering out a way to move forward in the story. So I came up with this. I can write Yusei and Akiza pretty easily, and Jack somewhat, but I have a hard time writing Crow and the twins, and the minor characters to boot, so that's why I haven't written about them, or included them as much as I have in this story, and that goes for all of my other stories too. Although, Death Race 5D's probably doesn't count since, everyone had a role to play in that story based off of what characters I believed to fit well the most with the characters from the movie. Anyway, if you have any tips, or suggestions, I'm open to consideration, and as always, you guys know what to do, so until next time, peace!

PS: I know it's cliche, and not very original, but if you haven't noticed by now, some of my chapter titles in all of my stories are based or written off of songs, or band titles. Bonus points for whoever can guess where this one came from.


	8. Staying In

**Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's: War of the Dragons**

**Chapter 8: Staying In**

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A/N: Wow. I didn't expect the response I received from the last chapter. Some have even said it was the best chapter they've read from this story. So, thanks again for the compliments guys, and I'll do the best I can to make every chapter at least readable. Beyond that I don't have much else to say, except maybe I should probably start writing more T for Teens Fics instead of M rated; I've gotten some weird messages from what I'm assuming is Porn Bots? So it's not just Facebook that's got them, huh?

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_New Domino City, Yusei's Home_

Sunlight peered through the window, shining its light in the dark room. A figure in the bed stirred awake as the light shone through, slightly glaring at the figure before they eyes re-adjusted to the light. Running a hand over his face, rubbing the sleep from his tired eyes, he felt a weight on his chest that he hadn't noticed until now. Peering through his messy raven locks, he saw the sleeping form of Akiza Izinski cuddled as close as humanly possible; her head moving up and down in time with the heart beats in his chest.

As he looked upon the young woman's sleeping figure, memories of the night before flooded into his mind. A small, almost unnoticeable blush marked Yusei's cheeks as he was reminded of the events that transpired from the night before. Running a hand through her violet red-mahogany hair, his hand travelled the length of her back drawing small circles as he reached the part where her lower back met her butt, before dragging his hand back up. Akiza stirred from his ministrations; a shiver running up and down her body, before she snuggled even closer, and mumbled, "Five more minutes…" Her body relaxing against his own, as she continued to sleep.

Chuckling, Yusei kissed the top of her head, and continued to run his fingers through her hair, and rub affectionate circles across her back. It didn't take long for the redhead to wake up, releasing a sound somewhere in between a groan and a moan. Blinking away the sleep from her eyes, her sight readjusting to the light in the room. When her vision returned, she saw that she was entangled with Yusei in his bed. She could feel her legs wrapped around his, her head was clearly lying atop of his chest, and her arms were hugging his shoulders. Peering her gaze up, she saw that Yusei looked like he had just woken up as well. His eyes still looked heavy with sleep and his hair looked like unruly and messy, more so than usual.

Realizing that she was pressed up against his body, naked, with only a blanket to cover them, Akiza came to two conclusions; one, she probably looked a lot like Yusei does right now, and two, they had sex, and if the memories of the night before that were flashing through her mind as of right now was of any indication, it wasn't just sex - it was mind blowing, earth shattering, orgasmic, wonderful sex. Did she really need to label all of those adjectives to their copulation from last night? No, probably not, but she didn't care; it was the truth after all.

She was brought back to reality when she felt Yusei's rough, warm hand brush a stray hair back behind her ear, lingering his hand there for more than what would be a necessary amount of time. Then he asked, "You okay there?" Pausing the home movie replaying the events of the previous night inside her head for now, she blushed realizing what she had been doing. Recognizing the signs, Yusei smirked, and asked Akiza rather boldly, "Thinking about last night, huh?" Akiza's blush, if possible, darkened, and in retaliation, playfully smacked Yusei's chest, earning a chuckle, as she huffed, and turned her head away from him, as far as her current position would allow, and then retorted with an adorable little pout, "Don't get all cheeky and cocky all of a sudden…." Then immediately, she admitted in a rather small voice, "But… yes…"

Yusei's chuckling turned into laughter, as he hugged her close, and kissed her temple. Turning back to mock-glare at him, she was momentarily stunned by his smile. She really did love it when he did that, and she wanted him to do it more often. Kissing him on the lips, she drew away from him, and stretched out like a cat, moaning when she felt her back pop in several places. Releasing a shudder, she was once again reminded of the night before, and could still feel the lingering sensations in her legs and thighs. Akiza thought that Yusei was just too good, and knew that he knew it too. She'd have to ask him where he had learned how to do all of that sometime later…

Relaxing against Yusei's form again, she drew shapes of the Crimson Dragon's Claw and Head - the marks that the two of them use to bare - on his chest, as they stayed in his bed lying with one another in a comfortable silence. A silence that was broken when she remembered something Yusei told her last night. "Yusei… were you speaking the truth last night? Are you really going to give up duelling?" Closing his eyes for a moment, he took a deep breath, then looked back into Akiza's caramel-amber-brown eyes, and said, "Yes."

Raising a brow, Yusei knew she was silently asking him to continue. Releasing a sigh, He shifted in the bed, allowing him to sit up with his back pressed against the headboard, and bringing Akiza up with him. She waited patiently as she continued drawing the shapes on his chest, while her other hand was playing with his hair, running her fingers through his raven locks, scratching his scalp as she did. Since she had come back and had been living with Yusei for the better part of a week now, she's come to learn more about the raven haired scientist; for instance, he likes it when she ran her hands through his hair, almost purring like a cat when her nails scratched at his scalp. It always managed to relieve some stress, and calm him down a bit.

After taking enough time to gather his thoughts, Yusei started speaking. "Duelling has been a constant in my life ever since I could remember. It was how I learned how to read, write and perform basic math. It's not just a hobby; it's a part of me, and just thinking about giving it all up, puts an uncomfortable pit in my stomach that makes me want to puke. But I can't keep up with it anymore. Between my normal working schedule, then the Fortune Mainframe, and city projects… I just don't have any time for it anymore. Every chance I get to fine tune my Duel Runner, I do the same to my deck, but… Akiza, my last official duel was almost 5 years ago."

With a sad smile plastered on her face, she hugged Yusei closer, and placed her head over his heart, before muttering just loud enough for him to hear, "I don't know what to say to make you feel better, Yusei. But I trust your judgement and your decision; I know that this isn't easy for you, and should you ever need to talk to someone, about anything, you can talk to me. I'm here, I'll listen, and I'm not going anywhere."

It hurt her to see Yusei struggling, even if it wasn't over something considered to be life threatening. But she understood that to him, duelling was just as important as breathing. And to give something like that up; even if it is voluntary, it wasn't a decision that was made easily. She only wished she could do something that could ease his stress away, when an idea came to mind. Just like before, her "idea" had her blushing like a schoolgirl over her crush, but before she had a chance to ask Yusei, her lips were sealed in a chaste, yet heated kiss that she immediately responded to.

After separating, Akiza looked back to Yusei, when he explained, "Thanks for the help, Akiza. I can always count on you to pick me up whenever I'm down." Smiling again, but this time happily, with a blush still present on her cheeks she kissed Yusei on his cheek, then replied, "Anytime, Yusei." The two fell back into another comfortable silence, when Yusei asked out of the blue, "What about you, Akiza? You've been back for almost a week, and beyond visiting your parents, and going out with me, I haven't seen you leave the house. Don't you have your job at New Domino Hospital?"

Pouting cutely, Akiza replied in a mockingly sad tone, putting on her best puppy dog eye impression she could, "Aw, tired of me already?" The look Yusei gave her had her nearly bawling her eyes out, cackling like the Witch from _The Wizard of Oz_. Taking a breath to get her laughing fit under control, she wiped a tear from her eye, then said, "I-I'm sorry, Yusei, but it's really fun to tease you, and to see you loosen up! You're always so serious all the time, that sometimes I forget you're still human!" Once again, Akiza was left giggling at Yusei's glare, unable and unwilling to control her laughter. Grumbling next to her, Yusei said just loud enough for her to hear, "If you keep this up, you're sleeping on the floor."

After finally managing to calm herself down, she kissed Yusei's temple as a form of an apology, before replying, "Okay, okay, I'm sorry. Really. To answer your question, before I came back, I had an over the phone interview with my boss, and she had told me since I hadn't been to New Domino in eight almost nine years, that she would give me a week to readjust to life living in the city. But when the news about Sayer's escape became public, she had called and told me to take as much time as I needed to sort myself out. They don't know everything about my involvement with him and Arcadia, but it's not exactly private that I was close to him; the Fortune Cup was broadcasted over the city, after all."

Trailing a finger down from Yusei's neck to his chest, then drifting slowly down his abdomen, she stopped just above his waist before trailing back up again as she added, "And if I'm completely honest with you, I want to take advantage of that as much as possible. I know it isn't polite, nor right to do that, but… after everything we've been through in the past week, I want to spend as much time with you as I can before… well, you know."

Nodding his head, Yusei replied, "I get it. It's the same for me too. It's selfish, but as you so thoughtfully have reminded me, we're human, and we are allowed to be selfish from time to time. Which brings me to something else I wanted to ask; how about just for today, you and me, we stay inside, and just enjoy each other's company?"

Smiling, hiding a mischievous smirk, Akiza replied, "I think that's a wonderful idea." Then, before Yusei could add something else, she said in a not so hidden seductive tone, "And I think I have the perfect way to start our day together." Drawing away from him, before he could utter a sound, she lowered her body, dragging her nails across his chest, down his abs, as her lips, tongue, and teeth kissed, licked, and bit into his skin. Just before her head was hidden beneath the blanket she relayed to him, "I'm going to blow your mind out of the water, and that's not the only thing that'll be blown~." Giggling like the little vixen she is. Yusei didn't have long to guess what she meant when he felt her hot wet tongue, lick along his length from beneath the sheets. _"Ohhhhhhokaaaay…"_

* * *

_New Domino City, Poppo Time, Cafe La Green_

Sitting at a reserved table outside of his favorite coffee shop, sipping on his favourite beverage - Blue-Eyes Mountain Coffee, was the World Turbo Duel King, Jack Atlas. After having been away from Poppo Time for eight, almost nine years Jack thought it best if he paid a visit.

* * *

_The cafe that he so frequently visited during his time sharing an apartment from across the street with his brothers and Bruno hadn't changed a bit. The only difference being the waitress that used to fawn over him - Stephanie, was no longer just a waitress, but now the manager of said coffee shop._

_Speaking of the old apartment, it was the first thing Jack wanted to see. After visiting Zora who was surprised to see Jack all the way out here, then proceeded to beat him with her broom for leaving - as she calls him - her "precious Yusei" all by himself. Once she had calmed down and after Jack explained to her why everyone went their separate ways, Zora told him that much of Poppo Time has remained the same. Her son had become a successful clock maker and has been in charge of Zora's Shop for a few years now. As for the boys' old apartment, Zora explained that after the team went their separate ways, Yusei stayed for a couple of years before he moved out and found a home of his own in Tops, closer to where he worked. It wasn't until now that Zora had figured out why Yusei had left; just like his friends, Yusei had to move on too._

_After their brief discussion and after catching up, Jack asked if she's done anything to the old place. The matron shook her head, saying that after Yusei had said his goodbyes and left with all of his possessions, she's kept the place as is, and if Jack wanted to, he could look for himself. Thanking Zora for the company, Jack left and made the short trip to the now empty apartment. Lifting the garage door open, and switching on the lights, the blonde goliath could see that Zora wasn't making stories. The place was as empty as the day when he and his brothers first found it. Walking through the building, flashes of memories played before his eyes. _

_Crow bickering with him about spending too much money on coffee and ramen when they should be saving up for rent. The twins, no older than thirteen at this point, playing Duel Monsters, Leo occasionally asking Yusei for tips whenever he lost a game. Bruno in the corner, making calibrations to their Duel Runners, trying to find a way to improve upon them before the WRGP. Akiza on the sofa, smiling at the twins, and often asking Yusei for help with her studies, blushing here and there whenever the raven-haired Signer would subtly brush his hands across hers. _

_After spending enough time reminiscing, Jack switched off the lights, and closed the garage door, leaving behind an old chapter in his life._

* * *

Jack was brought out of his thoughts, when a waitress dropped off the check and set it aside. Thanking the waitress, Jack put it off for now, his thoughts venturing to the bombshell Yusei dropped on him three days ago. After the 10th Anniversary of the Fortune Cup concludes, Yusei will either retire as the King of Games, or he will retire after bestowing that title upon the person that defeats him; either way, Yusei was going to officially retire from duelling, permanently. The news had stunned him, shocked him into silence. Jack could tell that from Yusei's expression, he was waiting for Jack to explode, and perhaps, that's what the old Jack would have done, but instead, the current Jack Atlas, after taking a moment, stood up, and left, telling his younger brother he needed time to think.

And now, three days later, Jack still didn't know what to think. He had asked Carly if she knew, and although she had said she had her suspicions, she didn't actually know. When asked why she suspected he might, Carly told Jack that it had been close to almost five years since Yusei had been in an official duel; saying that his time working on perfecting the Fortune Mainframe and then starting on several city projects had taken up all of his time. Deciding to shelve Yusei's retirement in the corner of his mind for now, his thoughts turned over to the black haired beauty that has graciously allowed him to stay in her apartment, considering how he had left things between them.

He and Carly had a rather… rough time after he had left. After a couple of years Jack realized the mistake he made of separating from Carly, rather in the way he had done it. It took some convincing, but after talking it over, the two were willing to repair their relationship. And after the remaining number of years, the two of them have come a long way, and are in a good spot now. They're still a long way from becoming anything more than friends, but after everything between them, that was fine with Jack.

* * *

_New Domino City, Tops, Twins' Apartment Complex_

Tops. Where the richest and most wealthiest of New Domino's citizens lived. It had been a long eight years since Luna and her twin brother Leo had called it home. After the Dark Signers and the King of the Underworld were defeated, and after Yliaster was all but destroyed, the twins and the friends that fought side by side with lived in peace for two years before everyone went their separate ways. For the twins, their parents whom have been living and working in London for a long time had contacted their children and had asked them to come and live with them.

Although, at first, they were torn between leaving and living with their parents, or staying in New Domino, and continue living alongside their friends, the chance and opportunity for Luna and her brother to be a part of their family again was too much for the young pre-teens to pass up. After saying goodbye to all of their friends from school, and with the friends that they had grown so very close to in nearly three years, the twins left the chapter of New Domino City behind them, moving on to a different chapter in their lives.

It was… hard and difficult at first, but eventually, the pain of leaving their friends behind faded, and in its place was a longing to return one day, to show how far the two of them come. For Leo, ever since watching Jack Atlas came onto the duelling scene, and later Yusei Fudo, or as the twins often referred to him as "Big Bro", Leo's dream had always been to become a professional duelist. As for Luna on the other hand, she didn't have a clue as to what she wanted to become, just as long as she was by her brother's side, and although she wasn't a terrible duelist - if any of her childhood memories of beating her brother was of any indication - she was at least better than him; she didn't want to be a pro duelist.

It wasn't until she was older did she realize that she liked helping younger children. Even when she was a little girl, and all she had was her brother, she liked to teach him how he could be a better duelist, even if at first she liked to rub her nose in her brother's face that she was better than him; sibling rivalries and such. With that in mind she decided to become a school teacher. But because her career would undoubtedly separate herself from her twin eventually, during her brother's duelling season, she would later become his manager. And after eight years of hard work, sweat, tears and dedication, both Leo and Luna had achieved their respective goals. And it wasn't too soon afterwards, that the two of them would finally be able to return home.

Despite having matured over the years - well Luna maturing over the years, Leo was still a child at heart, having evolved into what is known as a "man-child" - he'd do Crow proud - the two were absolutely giddy with excitement to returning to New Domino City. After the get together at the airport, and the reunion party in their old apartment complex, the twins set out to catch up with their old classmates from Duel Academy. Leo had spent much of his time scouting the Daimon Area of New Domino with Dexter and Bob. The two informing their teal green-blue haired friend that while the area has been cleaned up over the years, it was still frequented by ruffians of all kinds taking part in the Underground Duels that the boys always use to sneak out and watch.

Luna and her dear friend Patty, however, took the chance to catch up on what had been happening at Duel Academy since Luna and Leo left the city. Patty was excited to learn that during Leo's off seasons, Luna would be taking up an internship at their old schooling grounds, telling her old friend that she too would be a teacher's assistant; thus allowing the old friends to catch up on all the latest gossip, something Patty never grew out of. Unfortunately, the news of Sayer's escape had put a damper on Leo and Luna's catch up time with friends.

Although worried for her safety - after all, Sayer did target her because she had the ability to not only speak with Duel Monster Spirits, but to also travel to and from the Duel Monster Spirit World - Luna was much more concerned for Akiza and therefore by extension, Yusei's safety as well. Not to mention, Akiza's parents could also be likely targets. But after Akiza's parents had went into hiding, and Akiza deciding to stay with Yusei, until Sayer's capture, Luna and Leo too seemed to have calmed down.

Now that a week has finally passed by, the twins have taken a note from Yusei and Akiza's book and have stayed in their apartment for the time being. Inviting their old friends over whenever they had the chance. Although the coast was clear, for the time being, Leo still worried for his sister's safety, and after arguing with her for an hour, convinced her it would be safer if they stayed in for now. But, both knew that neither one of them could stay in for too long, especially cooped up in a huge building, so after taking careful deliberation, Luna proposed a compromise with Leo, and suggested that it would do both of them good to get some fresh air. When Leo was about to object, Luna informed him, that the two of them would be going together, and if, he was still unsure, then it would be perfectly fine if he invited Dexter and the others to accompany them; just like old times.

After thinking it over, Leo agreed, and so the two twins set out to explore more of the city that they grew up in.

* * *

_New Domino City - New Satellite_

Satellite. A once desolate dystopian, filled to the brim with trash and junkyard scrap. An isolated island home to the lost, distraught and the forgotten. However, that all changed when a young teen, on the cusp of adulthood escaped this once harsh reality. When he escaped, and made a name for himself, it gave the people of this desolate land hope; hope for the best, hope for a change. And after the Dark Signers defeat, that change began to come to fruition. A bridge between this once dead island and the city of the future was constructed. And after the defeat over Yliaster, and Team 5D's going their separate ways, Satellite really had changed.

Crow couldn't believe it, Satellite looked so… _different_ than he remembered. _"You really outdid yourself this time Yusei…."_, Crow thought when he first came back to visit Martha after all the years he had been gone. He wanted to check up on the kids he had left in her care when he had left - no doubt that they were no longer kids. But when he crossed over the Daedalus Bridge, out of everything he expected to change, he never could have guessed that what he saw next.

Gone were all of the trash piles that used to litter the streets. The streets themselves were paved, and swept; not a pothole in sight. Even the houses and the buildings were refurbished; it was like Crow stumbled across an interdimensional portal and travelled into another world. After getting around the shock of what he was seeing, he really wanted to talk to Martha now that he could see what Satellite has become. He managed some small talk with her at the reunion, but he never once had asked what had happened to the island while he was gone, and now would be the best time to talk.

Arriving at the orphanage he grew up in, he realised it too had benefited from all the changes. The backyard wasn't just a slab of dirt littered with potholes and God knows what else. There was even a garden and a garage, and it was clean! The building itself actually looked like a home that you could live in; not a squalor barely standing on top of its foundation. After greeting Martha, and the new kids that made their homes with the elderly matron, Crow took a comfortable seat - the furniture looked brand new too now that he paid attention to his surroundings - Martha had told Crow the story that after everyone when their own ways, and Yusei's education was finished, he started giving back to the place where his journey started.

It didn't surprise the former thief and police officer that Yusei would give back to Martha, but he didn't realize that Yusei went out of his way to give back to the people of the once forgotten island. Martha explained that whatever money Yusei didn't spend or use for himself, he used it to find new ways to give the people of Satellite the lives that were robbed from them by Goodwin and his megalomaniacal views of what the Satellite should be; ironic, considering he was the "legendary man" that tried to free Satellite in the first place.

Thanking Martha for the information and company, he was set to leave and explore this "New Satellite" when she stopped him, and informed him that he was always welcome to stay here, if he didn't want to rent a hotel room to stay. Once again thanking his mother-figure for her hospitality, and telling her he would keep that in mind, Crow set out to wander the streets of his old nesting grounds. However, it didn't take long for this silent, tranquil peace of his and his friends to suddenly shatter with the reappearance of one of the teams' very first foes; the former leader of Arcadia, Sayer.

The former thief had no connection to the Psychic Leader who was just as, if not more megalomaniacal than Goodwin, but from he had heard of the man, if there was anything, or anyone that Yusei actually _hated_, it was him. From the way Yusei and Jack described him, the man wasn't above manipulating and coercing those around him, using any method at his disposal to get what he wanted, and for those that didn't show promise, he snuffed them out without a second glance; without mercy or remorse. Learning that he was the cause for the reason why Akiza was part of the way she was, and that his actions caused Carly and Misty to become Dark Signers was reason enough for Crow to come to terms that even the nicest of people could come to hate another.

At first, Crow was admittedly worried for his brother and Akiza. He knew that if Yusei got it in his head that Sayer would immediately come after them, that Yusei would do anything in his power - including reckless and stupid actions - to protect his friends, Akiza most definitely. And after what that man put Akiza through? He wouldn't be surprised if she was out for blood; especially given how according to Jack, Yusei was instrumental in turning Akiza against him. But after receiving the news from Yusei himself that everything would be fine, and that Akiza's parents were in hiding, and Akiza would stay with him, Crow's nerves eased a little.

Now, that a week had passed since coming back, and everyone was doing their own thing, Crow thought it would be high time to visit some of his old friends; realizing that sooner, rather than later, they would cross the former Psychic leader and whoever, or whatever he's teamed up with. _"Better take this reprieve while it lasts guys…. Something tells me we're going to be in our toughest fight yet… and soon…"_

* * *

_Unknown Location_

As soon as the light emitted from the card died down, Divine found himself back in the hideout with Tian unconscious in his arms. Lying the young man in his arms gently on the stone floor, Divine straightened himself before fishing his arm out, his hand spread wide, as the eye hidden behind his mask flashed with Psychic energy, lifting the young man up off the floor, and dragging him along the hallway.

Entering into the central chamber room, lit only by ten candles spread out in a wide circle, he heard the dark voice emanating from a darkened corner of the room, _**"Set the boy in the center of the circle. Allow me do the rest."**_ Having long learned not to question his new master, Divine set the young man down just as he was told, then backed away, as he watched his new master work his magic...

* * *

A/N: Hey guys! So this is just sort of like an interlude; nothing serious. But I do hope that I'll be getting to the halfway point soon, and that's when the REAL fun begins. Which leads me to my next point; there's some good news and bad news. Since you like the desserts first, I'll let you know that I'm almost done with school! I just have this one class left to finish up, and then I can graduate. *Happy Dance* But now here comes the damn veggies. Since I've only got one class, that's two days a week - Mon. & Wensd. - that doesn't leave me with a lot of days to update, but it does give me more time to write, so there's that.

The real bad news is that I've only got the one class left to take, and since I've already taken the other classes that are being taught this semester, I've only got about eight, well, now seven weeks left. Which means I don't have a lot of time left to finish, which I doubt I will. So with that being said, I'm not going to give up on this, or any other fic I'll write in the future; just after school is finished, it will take me a while before I'll be able to update after I finish my last class. So thanks in advance guys.


	9. Shadow Miasma

**Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's: War of the Dragons**

**Chapter 9: Shadow Miasma**

* * *

A/N: All right. So, I don't know if it is my phone, or if something's up with FFN, but I haven't been getting notifications for a few of the stories that I have followed and favorited. Like for instance, I can check on my favorites list and see that they've been updated, but I don't get a notification in my email when it does. It might also be doing that with any PMs I send, or receive, so I apologize for the inconvenience. Anyway, this chapter will be more about Divine and his _"master" _than the Team, and the power that the Duel Dragons wield.

* * *

Divine watched on the sidelines as his master approached from the shadows, and knelt near the unconscious form of Tian Sheng. Now that it has been almost a month since his master was freed from his tomb, and had time to consolidate some of his former power, the darkened mass began to take shape, and he was no longer just spirit roaming the darkened halls. His "head" was an ancient war helmet with two elongated horns protruding from both sides, two smaller horns above the brow of the helmet, one large horn framed with a spike in its center above the center brow, and a large spike sitting atop the center of the helmet.

His "face" was nothing more than that of a skeleton, but the dimensions were different than that of a humans. Instead, it looked, for lack of a more fitting term, deformed, or perhaps mutated. If anything, it looked more like a mask than actual face. He had no irises, nor pupils to speak of. Just blood-red orbs for "eyes" surrounded in pitch black darkness. A wartorn black cowl was wrapped around his "neck"; tears and rips all along the edge that flowed behind him. His "body" was cast and encased in ancient battle armor from a long lost forgotten age. Spiked and horned around his shoulders, gauntlets, knees and chest. If Divine had to guess, his master's body appeared to be that of cursed knight, clad in the darkest piece of armor he had ever seen. Almost as if he and the armor were one in the same.

Divine was shaken from his observation when he noticed the clawed and spiked gloved "hand" of his master placed on top of the unconscious young man's head. As soon as contact was made, a dark, almost mist like form of energy was transferred from the dark knight's hand to the body of the young man. The energy pooled quickly, suddenly spreading from one part of the man's body to the next, until he was completely enveloped in its web. Then, Divine witnessed something truly bizarre; the pool of dark energy was absorbed into the young man's unconscious form. When it was all gone, Tian's body jerked as the flames from the candles around the room flickered, and the shadows in the room seemed to have become darker. Then a flash of black light emitted from the young man's mouth and eyes, before finally resting in place.

Afterwards, the light and shadows of the room returned to normal, and Divine's master stood at his full height, beckoning Divine to walk with him. Taking a look back at the resting man, Divine's single visible eye leered at his unconscious form for a moment, before following. _**"Speak your mind, Divine. Ask the question…"**_

"Just what the hell was that back there? And you…? Until now, I've only seen a formless black mass with beady red eyes. What is this…? Your true form?" Stopping from his current path, Divine halted alongside his master, waiting patiently for the answers. Instead, however, the dark knight stood there silently, as if he hadn't heard his disciple. Divine's patience waned thin, as his dark master just stood there, not even acknowledging his presence. Just when the empowered psychic had enough, his master spoke, _**"Come with me."**_ His tone left nothing to be debated; it was to be followed. Without giving time for Divine to even try to question his command, the dark knight continued along his original path. Grumbling to himself, Divine begrudgingly followed, like a good little pet.

When Divine had caught up with his master, he found him waiting at the table when he had first come to after he was "saved". With a gesture from the dark accursed knight, Divine took his seat at the table, and awaited for his master to explain. _**"What you were just witness to was a Shadow Ritual."**_ Quirking his visible brow, Divine repeated, "A Shadow Ritual? What, like some kind of demonic pact?" Chuckling darkly, the sound vibrating throughout the main chamber, sending chills down Divine's spine, his master answered, _**"An… astute assumption… and not entirely wrong… It is a ritual when a Priest of Darkness, such as myself, bestows the dark powers of the Shadow Miasma that the Duel Dragons possess from myself to another, who is in possession of a Duel Dragon themselves."**_

"_Priest of Darkness? Shadow Miasma? What the hell is he talking about? I'm getting more questions than answers." _Sensing his disciple's confusion, the accursed knight explained further, _**"A 'Priest of Darkness' is a Duelist with a Duel Dragon of Darkness in their possession. As for a 'Duel Dragon of Darkness', it doesn't pertain to the Duel Dragon's attribute. Instead, it pertains to a Duel Dragon empowered from the Shadow Miasma that I mentioned. Shadow Miasma is the dark energy that is produced from the Duel Dragons themselves; more specifically, it is an inborn 'gift' to the original four Duel Dragons, or at least, that **__**was**__** true at one point in time."**_

As Divine continued to stare at his dark master, he could only mutter three words; "You lost me." A loud booming laugh escaped from the accursed knight, his dark voice causing the main chamber to rumble, and the bones of Divine to chill to a deathly cold. As the colors in the room died down with the Skeleton Knight's laughter, he said, _**"Perhaps… it is best to start from the beginning. Long before the Crimson Devil - Red Nova - roamed the Earth, and longer still before the Earthbound Immortals and their King came from the Underworld, there existed a single, formless being that ventured the cosmos. The People of the Stars, as they would later become called, worshipped this being as a God, and believed it to be the pinnacle of their pantheon's power; a dragon. **_

_**This being was vast, but the universe was endless, and despite this being's seemingly endless and absolute power, it was not everything. And so, to venture the vast and endless cosmos, the being split itself in two. To observe and to discover and to watch over all life in the universe. When one half of this near infinite being discovered a little rock in the universe, it was curious of the people that called it home. As it spent time observing and watching over the people of the blue and green planet, it came to be interested in a small group of the little beings called 'humans' that worshipped the being as a God. **_

_**Touched by their devotion, to appease them, the formless being took shape of their most powerful 'God'; the form of a Crimson Dragon bathed in light. But as it took shape, so did its brother; the permanent mental link between the two. This other half however, though identical to its brother, was not bathed in light. No, instead, it was shrouded in darkness. When the other 'being' came to the little rock that its brother took a liking to, it was appalled by the species that inhabited this dirt ball. Unbeknownst to the 'Dragon of Light' as the People of the Stars came to call its brother; the 'Dragon of Darkness' as it had come to call itself, was disgusted with the 'life' it had come to discover in its travels, and found a new mission; to destroy and dispose of all life in the universe down to the last atom. Leaving nothing in its wake.**_

_**As the 'Dragon of Darkness' tore through the cosmos, it undoubtedly knew that its brother would catch wind of the unbalanced universe, and would come to realize it was his own sibling that was the cause. Knowing that his brother wouldn't forgive his treachery; the 'Dragon of Darkness' disguised itself as its twin, and gathered a group of four followers - believing itself to be stronger than its brother - and twisted and corrupted them with its dark energy; what would later be known as Shadow Miasma - the very make up of the 'Dragon of Darkness' very essence and existence. In order to combat its twin; the darker brother bestowed upon its servants four dragons of immeasurable power; three from the darkness and one from the light.**_

_**Just as the 'Dragon of Darkness' predicted, soon afterwards, its brother - the 'Dragon of Light' - confronted its twin, realizing that the unbalanced shift in the universe was because of him, and demanded to know why it had done such a thing. It was then that it dawned on the 'Dragon of Light' what true treachery it had done as it gazed upon the four behind its brother. Rallying its six followers, the two dragons of Light and Darkness - of Order and Chaos - did battle with one another. The clash of the two brothers along with their followers shook the world and cosmos around them. Despite the 'Dragon of Darkness' servants and greater power, its brother - the 'Dragon of Light' - and his followers and their respective dragons, not just light and dark, but of the nature and the world around them, their greater numbers and potential overwhelmed and defeated the Darkness.**_

_**However, the 'Dragon of Light' could not completely destroy its twin. Not just because it was his brother, but because they are one and the same - two sides of the same coin - one could not live without the other. And so, the 'Dragon of Light', or as the ancestors to the People of the Stars referred to it as: the Crimson Dragon tried sealing its twin and its servants away. The 'Dragon of Darkness', however was not yet beaten, and in an act of final defiance to its brother and the people of this land, created dark, twisted, mirrored copies of its brother's dragons, and then consolidated what remained of its dark power into one of its followers, transforming the man into a dark and accursed warrior, vowing that one day, it would return, and finish what it started.**_

_**Horrified at what its brother had done and had become, the Crimson Dragon used its power to seal away the 'Dragon of Darkness' - or rather, its shell and its servants; trapping the accursed warrior and the four dragons for eternity. Unfortunately, neither the Crimson Dragon, nor its followers, or dragons could undo the dark power of the 'Dragon of Darkness' - unable to destroy the dark halves of what would later be known as its Signer Dragons - the Crimson Dragon was however, able to 'purify' these six mirrored twins of its followers, and then sealed them away along with its brother; serving as both lock and key, to ensure that its brother could never wreak havoc on all of creation.**_

_**Using what remained of its vast power, the Crimson Dragon restored what its brother destroyed, but at great cost. Using all of its reserve power, the Crimson Dragon slept, until its power would be restored. Until that time, however, it bestowed six signs - six pieces of itself - so that its followers could call upon their respective dragons whenever in a time of need."**_

As the Skeleton Knight finished his tale, Divine looked upon his master with awe and fear. He immediately came to realize that his master was the accursed man that was "gifted" with the remaining Shadow Miasma that the 'Dragon of Darkness' had. He had also come to realize that both he and his master were in possession of two out of the three original Dark Duel Dragons, and Tian had the one, original Light Duel Dragon. However, despite the incredible story he had heard, there was still one thing he was unsure of. "If I haven't been witness to some of the most odd and bizarre experiences I have ever seen and been apart of, I wouldn't believe you. Hell, it's so outlandish that I still have my doubts… but yet… I know it's true; it's all true. But I'm still confused on one thing, if all of the Duel Dragons were robbed of their 'Shadow Miasma', then how is it that the Duel Dragon you had given me still has it?"

Just as soon as the words left his mouth, Divine came to a sudden realization; he too was put through the same Shadow Ritual that Tian had just gone through. Unbridled rage and hatred coursed through Divine's veins. Despite the fear that was ever present since coming to and serving the Skeleton Knight, his sudden temper overruled that fear; slamming his fists on the table - standing upright so fast his chair was knocked to the floor - in his blinding outrage, Divine turned all of his Psychic power onto the very being that gave it back to him tenfold; "I AM NOT YOUR PUPPET! I AM NOT YOUR SERVANT, NOT YOUR SLAVE! I! AM! DIVINE!"

The sudden burst and release of pure psychic energy blew away all of the candles, and threw all of the chairs into the air; even the table was thrown across the room, as Divine kept up his assault. However, the Skeleton Knight was left unfazed, from both Divine's outrage and sudden attack. The chair he was currently sitting in unmoving, and the only thing on his person that was bellowing out was the torn and shredded he wore. When divine couldn't keep it up anymore, he collapsed on his knees, out of breath, and in sudden realization of his actions, quite possibly, out of life. With a wave of his hand, the Skeleton Knight rearranged the room just as it had been before, then turned his hard, cold, unblinking gaze to the man on his knees.

Speaking in a cold, whispering tone, the Skeleton Knight spoke with utmost authority and command, cowering the man on his knees in utter terror; speaking to him as if he were a pet that hadn't learned its place, _**"You should show me some respect. I dragged you out of that hellhole you were wasting away in; I can throw you back in, and take away everything I have given you. Just like -" **_snapping his fingers, Divine shut his eyes and flinched back, falling on his ass, but once he reopened his eyes, he caught the cold, hard, stare of his master _**"- that."**_

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A/N: Short chapter I know, but I wanted to give a little backstory between the relationship between the Signer Dragons and Duel Dragons. I took inspiration from the history between Primus and Unicron from _Transformers_. I also wanted to explore the relationship between Divine and his master - now revealed to be the Skeleton Knight - and what would most likely happen when Divine learns the truth. As for the Skeleton Knight, in this fic, he is not Roman Goodwin; just in case it wasn't clear. And now, for those who don't know, you now know what the title means to the story; War of the Dragons = Signer Dragons vs. Duel Dragons.


	10. Dark World Vixen

**Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's: War of the Dragons**

**Chapter 10: Dark World Vixen**

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A/N: I am uploading this chapter with chapter 9. I had a little extra time this weekend because of Labor Day and because I only have classes on Mondays and Wednesdays. When I first started this fic, I didn't know how long I wanted it to be. At first, I was thinking of around 15 chapters, but now I'm thinking it will most likely be over 20 or so. So, we're halfway there!

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After the humiliating and degrading reminder that he is nothing without his master - the Skeleton Knight - Divine begrudgingly left soon afterwards, searching for the fourth and final "candidate" to be the bearer of the last original Duel Dragon, while Tian recovers and recuperates from the Shadow Ritual. Focusing on the dark energy of the blank Duel Dragon card, Divine teleported from within their hidden location to the technological equivalent to New Domino on the Asian mainland; South Korea.

However, unlike the last time, where Divine was transported to a main attraction in China, he was instead brought to an indiscriminate locale in what appeared to be the factory district based on his surroundings. After quickly gathering his bearings, Divine focused more on the blank card, using its dark energy as a compass to find its suitable "partner". Jumping from building to building; rooftop to rooftop, Divine's gaze turned towards the land around him.

Over the many years and decades that South Korea shared with its bordering twin in the North, an uneasy partnership and alliance had borne fruit between the two countries. After many years of fighting and disagreements, the leaders of their respective country managed to find common ground, and though word has spread that the two are in talks of uniting, there are no official statements to those claims. There was also the disgruntled groups on both sides, the people that were afraid of change, and wanted to keep things as they were before. In hindsight, everything was looking up, for better or worse.

Quickly, after following the trail of energy, Divine came across a peculiar, but not unfamiliar sight. Standing atop a nearby factory building, the new and improved psychic had seemingly just discovered an Underground Duelling Ring. Although Divine had never participated in one such competition, he knew what they were, and had frequently sent his followers, most notably, Akiza when she was known back then as the Black Rose Witch, to these sorts gatherings looking for potential psychics that showed promise.

Just the thought of his former most powerful weapon boiled Divine's blood and angered him to no end. She was nothing when he had found her. Living off of the winnings she made during her duels in the Underground, and living on the streets like a rat. She was so grateful when he had found her and offered her a place by his side. She was fully and wholeheartedly devoted to him and his every need. But all of that was destroyed when she met _him_. Yusei Fudo. If Akiza was a street rat when he had found her, than Yusei was nothing more than scum and filth in his eyes.

Divine didn't see what was so special about the Satellite Trash, but after watching their duel at the Fortune Cup, he noticed that the scum's words had shaken Akiza's resolve and her belief in Divine. It didn't take a psychic to also notice the budding attraction between the two. Divine clenched his hands into fists at the memory. Akiza was his, and no one else's. She was his mistress and he was her master; giving her the life she had wanted and begged for, and how did she repay him? By turning her back on him, betraying his trust, and siding with that Satellite scum and his friends.

Taking a steadying breath, Divine unclenched his hands, and returned his breathing to normal. Yusei would get his when the time was right, and he would remind Akiza why he should not be trifled with, but all in due time; as of right now, he had a mission to complete. Hunching down, Divine lifted off of his feet into the air, and using his powers, landed softly without injury onto the ground. As he got closer to the ring, he noticed that it wasn't just a ring, but a pit, several hundred meters below. Looking from his position, Divine was able to see the duelists participating in a much clearer view.

Both duelists seemed to be shackled with what appeared to be shock collars. Whenever a duelist would take damage, the shock collars would sent a burst of voltage equivalent to the amount of damage the duelist received; a good way to end up dead if one were not careful. So it wasn't just an Underground Duelling Ring, but an _Illegal _Underground Duelling Ring. _"Hmm, interesting. This isn't just for sport; it's a show. The people in the crowd that aren't carrying a duel disk aren't just spectators; they're customers. Clients watching their chosen duelist dishing out as much pain as possible to the other; not caring whether either participant lives or dies… Just my kind of party."_

As Divine's lips morphed into a feral grin, he could feel the pulsing "heartbeat" of the blank Duel Dragon card. _"The 'Priest' or 'Priestess' must be in this crowd. I can practically taste the raw energy that they're producing. Guess there's only one real way to find out."_ Gripping the railing tightly, Divine vaulted over the side, and using his powers once again, slid down the steep incline unnoticed as he finally merged with the crowd. Maneuvering through the crowd of people on his side, Divine could feel the rapid, pulsing, heartbeat of the blank Duel Dragon card as he got closer to the duel field. _"The 'candidate' must be one of the duelists duelling at the moment; I need to get a closer look."_

Divine kept pushing and maneuvering through the crowd, noticing that it wasn't just criminals that were in attendance, but wealthy and influential businessmen and women in the crowd as well; even folks that were supposed to be "upholding the law" were there too. _"Hmph. The more things change, the more they stay the same indeed." _After getting through to the front of the crowd, he noticed that the current duel was coming to a close. The man on the right had a mere 2000 Life Points left with nothing on his field, nor in his hand to protect himself, while the woman on the left had 8000 Life Points, and two monsters on her field: **Goldd **and **Silva**, **Wu-Lord **and **Warlord of Dark World** respectively.

"It's been fun playing with you, my sweet, but I had hoped you would have satisfied me for longer~. Unfortunately for you, your loss is the least of your worries. Goldd, Silva! Finish him off!" The two dark and demonic lords rushed forward, each drawing their respective weapons, a golden battleaxe and silver one-handed blade made from sinew, bone and flesh were then smashed on top of the poor man as his Life Points plummeted to zero. Immediately following, a surge of electricity coming from the shackles around the man's wrists, ankles and his neck came to life, filling his body with 5400 volts. The man screamed in pain and agony for a full minute, until both the electrical discharge and the man stopped, with his lifeless body falling backwards with a thud.

As the duel came to a close, the announcer loudly proclaimed for all to hear, "Aaaaand another victory for our greatest competitor! The_ Eoduun Segye Am Yeou _wins again! With a total of ninety-nine wins and zero losses, will she be the first to win one-hundred duels in a row in our gauntlet challenge, and achieve her freedom! Or will one of you brave competitors step forward, and end the streak!?" Divine quickly realised that this woman was the "Priestess" that the Duel Dragon was looking for. Stepping forward, Divine announced loud enough for all to hear, "I accept the challenge!"

All of the commotion within the crowd died down, as whispers and murmurs of the unexpected newcomer to step forward rang throughout the pit. Divine, however, paid them no mind, and stepped up to the previous man's position. When the announcer came forward, he asked, "Sir, are you sure you want to do this? She hasn't lost once, not to mention I've never seen you here before, and do you have someone with you? You know, your "manager" to place your bet? You can't participate-!"

Grabbing the poor fellow by the neck, Divine had about enough of his babbling to last a lifetime. "Listen worm, I'm here to duel, not talk. I manage myself, and you all will get what you came here and paid for to see. I'll _'participate'_ wherever I damn well please!" Dropping the man, Divine activated his custom made, golden duel disk and placed his deck inside. Then continued speaking, "Put the shackles on, and let's get this show on the road; time is money after all, and isn't that what's most important here!?"

Scrambling back on his feet, the grizzly announcer quickly left to go back to his position to start the match. "Ah, uh, well, it looks like our mystery duelist here wants to take a crack at our champion! If he wants to throw his life away for our entertainment, why not let him! Guards, place the shackles on our newest competitor!" Stepping up from behind, two large and burly men came up to Divine and placed the shackles tightly and securely around his neck, wrists and ankles, locking them in place with a key.

In the time it took for the announcer's guards to do their job, Divine paid them no mind and focused all of his attention on the woman on the other side of the field. The woman couldn't have been any older than thirty. She had pale skin, luscious, ruby red lips, pitch-black, midnight hair, tied up into a bun and ponytail. Just below her bottom lip, off to the lower right was a barely noticeable mole on her otherwise unblemished face. There was a thin line of dark grey eye liner and eye shadow to make her just a bit more alluring. Her eyes themselves were an odd, yet unique shade of blood red in color. Her attire also spoke volumes to her allure.

Her top was a crimson red, low cut piece, showing off her modest chest and cleavage, cut off in the middle, revealing her midriff. On top of that, she was wearing a black, leather, short sleeve, jean jacket, that came to rest on her chest. There was nothing on her arms, besides charcoal black, fingerless gloves. Below her waist, she was wearing a black skirt, tied with a dark brown belt, and crimson red short shorts beneath, barely coming up to her knees. For the final touch of the alluring, seductress look she was going for, she also wore black, leather, high heeled boots. When the guards put the finishing touches to the shackles placed on Divine, there was only one thought going through his mind, _"Am Yeou, indeed."_

Afterwards, the announcer then began speaking the rules of the Underground Duels. "For the newcomer, as well as those watching that weren't here before, allow me to explain the rules of this duel! First and foremost, we will be following the Master Rule 3. For those unaware of this, this universal rule has changed the game of duelling. First, each duelist starts off with 8000 Life Points; no longer is it 4000. In addition, the duelist that makes the first move in the duel will not be allowed to draw a card from their deck during the draw phase, unless they have a card in their hand that specifically states that they can. Lastly, monsters that would normally be summoned in face-up Defense Position, must be set first, unless a card effect states otherwise.

As for the shock collars, they provide an extra level to the entertainment value. What's entertainment without a little pain? These collars will send volts of electricity throughout our duelists bodies equal to the amount of damage they take. Said damage could be from either battle or card effect, including cards that make the duelist pay Life Points in order to use their effects! Now, with all of that out of the way, let the duel commence! To your left, we have the reigning, defending and undefeated gauntlet champion, _Eoduun Segye Am Yeou_! And to your right, we have our newest challenger… uh, what would you-"

"The name is Divine."

"Ah! As I was saying, and to your right, we have our newest challenger, Divine! Because our champion was the winner of our last round, she will decide whether she, or her opponent will make the first move!" With her black, red and gold trimmed duel disk activated, and her deck thoroughly shuffled, the woman, pointed her left index finger towards Divine's direction, silently, signalling that Divine would take the first turn.

* * *

Divine vs. Yeou

Turn 1

Divine: LP: 8000, Hand: 5 Cards, Field: 0 Cards, GY: 0 Cards

Yeou: LP: 8000, Hand: 5 Cards, Field: 0 Cards, GY: 0 Cards

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Drawing the five cards from his deck, and adding them to his hand, Divine felt the thrill and the adrenaline pumping through his veins; something he hadn't felt in over a decade. _"It's been far too long since I've felt like this. These new… rules add several new challenges to the game, and it'll make it all the more exciting when I crush her. She obviously uses a Dark World Deck, and if memory serves, they rely on being discarded to the Graveyard in order for their effects to take off. By not making the first move, it ensures her the possibility of drawing something that will let her discard whatever Dark World monsters she has in her hand. Clever girl…"_

"To start things off, I activate the Spell, **Cost Down**! With it, by discarding a card in my hand to the Graveyard, all monsters in my hand have their levels reduced by 2." Picking up a card, he sent it through his Graveyard slot, while thinking, _"This will be useful later." _Grabbing another card from his hand, and placing it in Attack Position in the center Monster Card slot, Divine announced, "From there I Normal Summon the former Level 6, now Level 4 **Prime Material Dragon**!"

**Cost Down: Normal/Spell/Effect: Discard 1 card. For the rest of this turn, the levels of all Monsters in your hand are reduced by two, until the End Phase.**

A blue portal appeared in mid-air as a dragon with scales covered in a sleek golden-metallic sheen flew through, landing gracefully in front of its master. **Prime Material Dragon: LIGHT Attribute, Level 6(due to Cost Down's effect, Level 4, until the End Phase), Dragon/Effect: Any effect that requires you to pay Life Points, or any effect that would inflict damage to you instead increases your Life Points by the same amount. When a card's effect to destroy a monster(s) on the field is activated, you can send 1 card from your hand to the GY to negate its activation and destroy it. ATK/DEF: 2400/2000**

The crowd of "spectators" oohed and ahhed at the beautifully golden dragon. As the announcer praised the Dragon's otherworldly appearance, Yeou, however, had no such reaction; instead she looked on with a neutral expression, likely aware of the dragon's effects, and trying to come up with a strategy to finish it off quickly."With that done, I end my turn."

Humming in response, Yeou placed her hand on her deck, and drew her card. Smirking, she regarded Divine with a sultry smile, then said, "Hm. Not bad, honey. Summoning a beast like that on your first turn, especially one with a unique effect, bravo~" slowly clapping her hands together mockingly, she continued, "But… unfortunately for you sugar, this isn't amateur hour, and if that's all you got, then you're in for a rude awakening. My turn, draw!"

* * *

Turn 2

Divine: LP: 8000, Hand: 2 Cards, Field: 1 Monster, GY: 1 Monster and 1 Spell Card

Yeou: LP: 8000, Hand: 6 Cards, Field: 0 Cards, GY: 0 Cards

"_Hm. This should do for now."_ Taking a card in her hand, she fit through her Spell/Trap Card slot, then proceeded to make her move. "First, I activate a Spell of my own, **Dark World Dealings**! Thanks to this, each of us draws one card, then each of us discards one card, like so!" Both duelists drew their respective cards, and after taking a moment to look through each of their hands, both duelists discarded a card. However, as soon as Yeou's card was discarded, a blue light lit up from her Graveyard slot, and a blue portal opened up on the ground, but it wasn't on her side of the field.

**Dark World Dealings: Normal/Spell/Effect: Each player draws 1 card; then each player discards 1 card**

"_What the…? What is she planning? Giving __me__ one of her monsters?" _As divine pondered the implications of what was about to happen, Yeou used his moment of confusion to explain. "Ah! I see that you've noticed my little plan! **Ceruli, Guru of dark World** make your presence known!" Hopping from beneath the portal was a little gremlin like imp, with a torn and shredded cerulean blue cape draped around its shoulders, and a cerulean demonic staff held in its right, clawed hand. The little imp was also clad in fiendish, cerulean blue battle armor. Its head reminded Divine of a villain in an American Horror Film, _Jeepers Creepers_, with five pronged like appendages wrapped around the back of the creatures head. Laughing hysterically and maniacally, with drool spilling out of its mouth, Divine was disgusted by its mere presence.

**Ceruli, Guru of Dark World: DARK Attribute, Level 1, Fiend/Effect: If this card was discarded by a card effect: Special Summon this card to your opponent's side of the field in face-up Defense Position. If this card was discarded by the effect of a "Dark World" card: Your opponent must discard one card. ATK/DEF: 100/300**

Giggling devilishly at Divine's discomfort of the little createn, Yeou began explaining the nature of her monster's effect. "Oh! I see my little helper has taken a liking to you, my sweet. But I can assure you, I'm far more friendly than he is~. The reason he was summoned to your side of the field, was because it was discarded from my hand due to a card effect. But it gets even better! Because due to my monster's effect, since he was summoned to your field due to the effect of a Dark World card, I must now discard 1 card from my hand!"

Just then, the little tyke that was crouched over in Defense Position on Divine's field thrusted its staff wielding hand forward, and a cerulean blue blast shot a card in Yeou's hand sending it to the Graveyard. However, just like before, a light was glowing from within her Graveyard, but instead of a blue light, this one seemed almost… translucent. Divine's visible eye widened when he realised what was about to happen, and based on the cackling glee from the woman on the field opposite of his position, this was her plan all along.

Another portal opened up on the ground, as a tall, dark and brooding figure, stood up from the ground below. The demonic fiend standing in front of his mistress was clad in dark, fiend like battle armor - like all Dark World monsters - but was translucent in color. Matter of fact the only parts of the demon's body that wasn't layered beneath translucent armor was its hands, torso, biceps, face and chest. Everything else from its broad shoulders, wrists, legs and feet, the horns and spikes on its head, its bat-like wings and even its spiked tail.

"Oh, but if you think I'm done, then sorry to disappoint you baby~, but were just getting started! **Lucent, Netherlord of Dark World**, let's bring along some friends, shall we?!" Divine watched as the brooding form of Lucent clapped its clawed hands together, then slowly pulled them apart as opened a translucent gateway, continuing to spread his hands apart as the gateway grew in size and length. "Due to his effect, when he's discarded from my hand via card effect he's Special Summoned to my field, but if he's discarded due to the effect of one of my opponent's monsters, like Ceruli for example, I can then Special Summon any Fiend-Type Monster from my Deck!"

**Lucent, Netherlord of Dark World: DARK Attribute, Level 6, Fiend/Effect: If this card was discarded by a card effect: you can Special Summon this card. If this card was discarded by an opponent's card effect: you can Special Summon 1 Fiend-Type Monster from your Deck. ATK/DEF: 2400/0**

"_Damn it! I didn't know she was this capable… Looks like winning those ninety-nine duels in a row wasn't a fluke after all; This duel just got a whole lot harder!" _

Suddenly, claw-like wings spread the gateway wider, as a fiendish dark grey knight flew through the portal and high into the sky before its clawed wings formed into fists and crashed down next to its comrade. "Divine, meet **Gaap the Divine Soldier**! Now my knight, reveal your talents, _**Divine Gaze**_!" The fiendish knight's eyes light up with a black light, staring down Divine's monsters. The psychic watched as a dark aura surrounded Ceruli and Prime Material Dragon, forcing the former and smaller of the two monsters into an attacking position. Likewise, while PMD was in Attack Position, the grey and black knight's gaze never let up, almost as if he was keeping the Dragon from taking a defensive stance.

**Gaap the Divine Soldier: DARK Attribute, Level 6, Fiend/Effect: All of your opponent's monsters are changed to face-up Attack Position, and their battle positions cannot be changed. (Flip Effects are not activated at this time.) Once per turn, you can reveal any number of Fiend-Type Monsters in your hand to give this card 300 ATK for each revealed card, until the End Phase. ATK/DEF: 2200/2000**

"Oops, did I not mention his effects? Oh, silly me, let me rectify that problem. As soon as my dark, devilish knight makes his presence known, all of my opponent's monsters are forced into Attack Position, and can't change their battle positions, even with a card effect. In addition, if any of your monsters happened to have flip-effects, those effects can't be activated. I guess that's where the name Divine Soldier comes from."

Divine was admittedly impressed. He hadn't been in a single duel in over a decade, but he knew skill when he saw it. And there was no doubt about it; despite the woman's mannerisms of speaking like seductress, or in her case, a demoness, she knew her way around her deck, and she was just getting started. _"It looks as if the Duel dragon has picked a fine 'Priestess' for itself. A damn fine one at that."_

Noticing Divine's nonchalant expression, Yeou sneered in his direction, then proclaimed, "Not satisfied are we, eh? Then let me kick it up a notch! I activate another effect of my Soldier; once a turn, I can reveal any number of Fiend-Type Monsters in my hand, which will then increase Gaap's Attack Points by 300 for each one, until the End Phase!" Flipping over a card in her hand, Divine realised that she was only going to expose one of her potential monsters; taking a closer look, the card she revealed was **Bronn, Mad King of Dark World**.

An equally dark aura then surrounded Gaap, as its attack power increased from 2200 to 2500, making it just barely strong enough to take down Divine's PMD. However, instead of conducting her Battle Phase then and there, Yeou proceeded in summoning her Mad King, Divine quickly understanding that she hasn't conducted her Normal Summon this turn. _"This is gonna hurt a lot more than I thought it would. Oh well, as the saying goes, 'No pain, no gain'!"_

**Bronn, Mad King of Dark World: DARK Attribute, Level 4, Fiend/Effect: When this card inflicts Battle Damage to your opponent; they must discard 1 card. ATK/DEF: 1800/400**

A portal opened up alongside Lucent, as his Mad King made itself known cackling maniacally, as it twisted its already tilted head to the other side, the bones in its neck snapping at each interval. With strength that the near skeletal demon shouldn't have, the iron chains wrapped around the King's bound arms snapped open, then using dark magic, the King wrapped the chains around each arm, utilizing its restraints as weapons.

"This will be sure to get that blood pumping through your veins, honey~. Sorry baby blue, but you gotta go; Bronn, send Ceruli back to where he came from, _**Mad Fury**_!" Cackling once more, the indeed Mad King surged forward, with both veiny hands gripping the chains tightly as the weaponised metal was used to slam the little createn into the dirt, becoming shards of light as its cry of defeat was deafening. Suddenly, a burst of 1700 volts of electricity coursed through Divine's veins. Gritting his teeth harshly, Divine refused to scream as the pain subsided, and his Life Points dipped from 8000 to 6300.

Breathing heavily, and shakingly standing, the former psychic leader looked up just in time to see Yeou order her Soldier to attack PMD. _"Not so fast, bitch!" _Pulling the card he discarded to the Graveyard from earlier in the duel, Divine proclaimed, "Heh. You'll have to do better than that! Remember the card I discarded from using my Spell, well now I have the perfect opportunity to use it! I activate the effect of **Temporal Spatial Android***! With it, by banishing my monster from the Graveyard, and paying 800 Life Points, I can negate the attack of one of my opponent's monsters that has a Level equal to the Level of a monster I control! And since Gaap is a level 6, just like my Dragon, your attack is negated! _**Temporal Reflection Shield**_!"

Just as Gaap's clawed wings could dig and cut into Divine's dragon, a young teen with green hair, a white, tight body-suit, covered in intricate green lines, and a blue visor covering the android's face appeared in front of Yeou's monster. Then a green like aura emitted from the android's hands created a shield, protecting Divine's dragon from further harm. "And if you get any bright ideas about trying to attack me with your Netherlord, don't bother. Since he is also a level 6 Monster, he can't attack my dragon either. Plus, due to my dragon's effect, instead of paying the 800 Life Points that I would have needed to use my android's effect, I instead gain those Life Points!"

Indeed, Divine was showered in a golden light replenishing his Life Points from 6300 to 7100. Clicking her tongue in annoyance, Yeou moved on from her Battle Phase, then proceeded to set two cards face-down, thus ending her turn.

**Temporal Spatial Android*: LIGHT Attribute, Level 3, Psychic/Effect: When an opponent's monster declares an attack, and this card is in your GY, you can banish this card; pay 800 Life Points, then select the monster your opponent's monster is attacking and note its level. If your opponent's attacking monster's level is equal to the selected monsters level, then the attack is negated. In addition, if your opponent controls other monsters on their field with an equal level, those monsters cannot attack the selected monster. ATK/DEF: 800/800**

* * *

Turn 3

Divine: LP: 7100, Hand: 3 Cards, Field: 1 Monster Card, GY: 1 Spell Card, Banished: 1 Monster Card

Yeou: LP: 8000, Hand: 2 Cards, Field: 2 Monsters and 2 Set Spell/Trap Cards, GY: 1 Monster and 1 Spell Card, Banished: 0 Cards

After declaring his turn, and drawing his next card, Divine's visible eye widened, if only slightly, grinning darkly at the card he just drew. "What was it that you told me? 'That if I want to win, then I've got to step up my game?' Well, consider it stepped up! I activate the Spell, **Psionic Fusion***!" Slotting the card into his duel disk, the holographic image displayed a green card with the image of Thought Ruler Archfiend and Armored Axon Kicker merging into a portal, with the shadow of a much larger monster in the background.

**Psionic Fusion*: Normal/Spell/Effect: Reveal a Psychic-Type Fusion monster from your Extra Deck; pay Life Points equal to the ATK of the revealed monster, then send Fusion Materials from your Extra Deck, Main Deck, Hand and/or Field to the GY and Special Summon the revealed monster (This Special Summon is treated as a Fusion Summon).**

"With this card, I can reveal one Psychic-Type Fusion Monster from my Deck-" Pulling a card from his back pocket without looking at said card, Divine revealed Ultimate Axon Kicker - "Then, by paying Life Points equal to the ATK points of the revealed Monster, I then can send Fusion Materials from my Extra Deck, Main Deck, Hand, and/or Field to my Graveyard to Special Summon the revealed Monster, and the Special Summon is treated as a Fusion Summon! But remember, due to my PMD's effect, instead of paying 2900 Life Points, they're increased by the same amount!"

Golden Light showered Divine as his Life Points skyrocketed from 7100 to 10,000. Then picking up a card from his Extra Deck, which just so happened to be Thought Ruler Archfiend, Divine sent the card to his Graveyard, then, a card ejected from his Main Deck, which also just happened to be Armored Axon Kicker, and also sent it to the Graveyard. Suddenly, the two afterimages of the two Monsters appeared on the field. The tubing connected to Armored Axon Kicker's back detached themselves from the cyborg, and were then reattached to Thought Ruler Archfiend. Green electricity was pumped into the Psychic Demon as its body began glowing with power practically radiating from its skin, all the while the Psychic Cyborg appeared to be absorbed into the Demon. Finally, after the process was complete, a surge of electrical power erupted from beneath the earth, as Divine chanted:

"_**Surge, my black flames of vengeance and let loose my fury with thunderous revenge! Come forth, and wreak havoc! Fusion Summon! Ultimate Axon Kicker!"**_

As Divine finished his summoning chant, a blood-curdling scream echoed throughout the pit, as the spectators and the announcer covered their ears. The ground beneath the creature blackened as electrical discharges rang throughout the duelling grounds. Flying from within the four-winged, twin-tailed psychic monstrosity burst forth, and made its presence known.

**Ultimate Axon Kicker: LIGHT Attribute, Level 11, Psychic/Fusion/Effect: "Thought Ruler Archfiend" + "1 Psychic-Type" Monster: This Monster can only be Special Summoned by Fusion Summon (from the Extra Deck). This card cannot be destroyed by card effects. During battle between this attacking card and a Defense Position monster whose DEF is lower than the ATK of this card, inflict Piercing Battle Damage to your opponent. When this card destroys an opponent's monster by battle and sends it to the GY, you gain life points equal to the destroyed monster's ATK. During either player's turn, when a Spell or Trap card is activated that would destroy a Psychic-Type Monster(s); you can pay 2000 Life Points, negate the activation and effect of that card and destroy all of your opponent's Spells and Traps. ATK/DEF: 2900/1700**

If it wasn't apparent before, then it certainly was now; the crowd had a front row seat to witnessing a Psychic Duelist in action. As Yeou regarded Divine with respect and a hint of fear, she gazed upon the monster standing between her and her opponent. The monster itself was very similar in appearance to the Thought Ruler Archfiend card, but there were noticeable differences. For one, while it was indeed colored green and gold, there also appeared to be psychic energy visibly coursing throughout the demon's body. Secondly, the legs of the demon's previous form seemed to have merged with its tail, not only elongating the limb, but also producing a second one just like it. Finally, it also appeared to have two new, bat-like wings on each side of its lower torso. Based on the monster's appearance and attribute of the card, Ultimate Axon Kicker seemed to be a LIGHT evolution of the Synchro Monster.

"I'm far from finished, Yeou. Next, I activate another Spell! **Psychokinetic Synchronization***! And with it, this duel is one step closer to finishing!"

**Psychokinetic Synchronization*: Normal/Spell/Effect: Reveal 1 Psychic-Type Synchro monster from your Extra deck; pay Life Points equal to the revealed monsters ATK, then banish monsters from your Deck and GY whose total levels equal the level of the revealed monster (1 " Psychic-Type Tuner" monster + 1 "Psychic-Type Synchro" monster) ignoring the summoning conditions.**

"Thanks to my little Spell, I reveal a Psychic-Type Synchro monster from my Extra Deck-" Taking another card from his Extra Deck, this time Divine revealed Overmind Archfiend, the DARK evolution to Thought Ruler Archfiend - "Then, like my previous Spell, I would normally have to pay Life Points equal to the revealed monsters ATK, but we both know that won't be happening anytime soon. " And just like all the other times, instead of having to pay Life Points, his points instead increase; however, this time they jump from 10,000 to 13,300.

"But this is where this card differs from my previous one; instead of being able to use materials from my Extra Deck, Main Deck, Field and Hand, this card only allows me to use the monsters in my Graveyard and Deck, and then I must banish those cards. But the real power comes in the form where I can ignore the summoning requirements! So, by banishing the Level 8 Thought Ruler Archfiend and the Level 1 Psychic Jumper, I Synchro Summon, the Level 9, **Overmind Archfiend**!"

The afterimage of Thought Ruler Archfiend became a silhouette of orange light and eight bright stars as the ghostly image of the frail and sickly form of Psychic jumper transformed into a silhouette of green, forming a single ring in the center of all eight stars. Then a beam of white light erupted as Divine chanted once more: _**"Mind over matter, thought above human perception, let the black flames of my vengeance surge forth and burn through all who stand in my path! Unleash your psychic might! Synchro Summon! Level 9! Come forth! Overmind Archfiend!"**_

From within the beam of light, a menacing, blood curdling roar echoed throughout the complex, as the psychically, armor-enhanced demon descended and crashed down into the duel field below; leaving behind a small crater from where it had impacted the ground. Standing next to its LIGHT counterpart, the evolutionary forms of Thought Ruler Archfiend seemed to tower over Yeou and her demons, promising a world of hurt, pain and suffering. The likes of which she has never and could ever dream of, until now.

**Overmind Archfiend: DARK Attribute, Level 9, Psychic/Synchro/Effect: 1 Psychic-Type Tuner + "Thought Ruler Archfiend": Once per turn, you can select 1 Psychic-Type monster in your GY, and banish it. When this card is sent from the field to the GY; Special Summon as many monsters as possible that were banished by this effect. During either player's turn, when a card effect is activated that would target and/or destroy a Psychic-Type monster(s), you can banish 1 Psychic-Type monster from your GY to negate the activation and destroy a monster on your opponent's field. ATK/DEF: 3300/3000**

Stepping back a step, Yeou was uncharacteristically sweating… She's faced tough opponent's before, sure, but she'd never faced someone like Divine. Although she knew the existence of Psychic Duelists, she had never actually dueled against one. And that fact scared her more than she was willing to admit. _"Think! Okay… he has three monsters… all of whom have more than 2000 ATK. I can't destroy his Ultimate Axon Kicker with card effects, so my face-downs won't work on him. I can try to destroy his Overmind Archfiend, but as soon as I do, or even attempt to, he can just pay 2000 of Life Points and destroy my back row. Not like he'd be paying anything with that overgrown lizard. He could also just stop my card's effects with his Overmind anyway, and get rid of one of my monsters to boot. He still only has the one card in his hand, and nothing in mine would stop him from attacking… Damn it! I may actually lose this duel! And my life!"_

Noticing her obvious attempt at trying to hide her discomfort, Divine sneered and took this moment to capitalize. "What's wrong? Scared? What happened to all your false bravado? Not like it matters, this duel is over." Raising a brow, Yeou asked, "What do you mean, '_over'_? You think you've won?! What's to stop me from using a card in my hand, or on my field to stop you!?"

"If that were true, you would have done something by now. From my understanding, Dark World cards are used to gain field advantage when they're discarded from your hand, and usually from targeting and/or destroying your opponent's cards. Which, you may not have noticed before, but that's a terrible idea with these two on my field." Gesturing to his demons, they let loose twin growls, calling out Yeou's bluff.

"This has been fun, and quite entertaining. You're a perfect candidate for my…. _Master_. You're skilled and talented, but unfortunately for you, you weren't prepared for someone like me." Before Yeou could even question what he was talking about, Divine made his final move. "Now from my hand, I activate the last card in my hand; the Spell, **Psionic Explosion***!"

**Psionic Explosion*: Normal/Spell/Effect: You can only activate this card if you control at least 1 Psychic-Type monster. Destroy all cards on the field except Psychic-Type monsters and inflict damage to both players for every non Psychic-Type monster destroyed by this effect x800. **

"With this card, if I control at least a single Psychic-Type monster on my field, EVERY card on the field is destroyed, but Psychic-Type monsters, and in addition, both players take 800 points of damage for each non Psychic-Type monster that was destroyed by this effect! And since there are currently three, we both take 2400 points of damage! Ultimate Axon Kicker! Overmind Archfiend! Let loose your power!'

Both Psychic demons flew sky high in the air before coming to a stop. The announcer and the spectators watched on, curious of what was about to happen, while Yeou was fidgeting and sweating profusely. None of her backrow had the power to stop her monsters' destruction; they were there to try to destroy Divine's. She could only watch helplessly as the two demons called forth their power. Generating a dark energy ball from its hands, Overmind's power was then doubled by Ultimate Axon Kicker's, as it added green, sparking energy from its maw, its light power combined with Overmind's dark power. The combined energy ball was then hurled at supersonic speeds straight into the center of the duel field.

Before anyone had time to react, the combined, combustible energy ball exploded onto the field wiping out everything in its path, and completely destroying the duel field and the pit along with it. The residual shockwave shattered the shock collars strapped around both duelists neck, and neither of them felt the pain of losing Life Points. Well, Divine hadn't felt any pain, but Yeou was thrown across the field from the blast as were the crowd and the announcer. Yeou's Life points dipped from 8000 to 5600, while Divine's barely had a dent, his Life Points decreased from a monumental 13,300 to 10,900.

Fires broke out as people were desperately trying to escape the carnage. Those closest to the blast, minus Yeou, were completely atomized from the energy spike. While those in the middle and back of the crowds were blown away and piled onto each other. In times of great peril, people are often faced with the choice of revealing their true selves, and here was no different. Pushing, shoving, and trampling. More people were killed from the mass panic than the actual explosion. But there were still a few, enraptured by the display; people that wanted to see the end of the match.

Yeou struggled to her feet, bruises, blemishes, cuts and scrapes marred her normally flawless body. Her clothes were torn and shredded and her breathing was heavy, yet erratic as she waited for Divine to finish her off. She was scared, but she wasn't a coward. If she was going to die, she was going to do it staring down her opponent. This intrigued Divine more so than anything else she had displayed so far. She could obviously try to run; it wouldn't do her much good, after all, he could just drag her back, but to stand in defiance against overwhelming odds of survival? It reminded him of a certain _someone… _

"Still standing huh? Well, you won't be after this - Ultimate Axon Kicker and Overmind Archfiend - finish this bitch off! _**Telekinetic Power Surge! Mental Sphere Explosion!**_"

The two psychic demons swooped down at blinding speeds, Ultimate Axon Kicker surged with bright green and gold light, while its brethren produced a black and purple mass of energy, both then launching their respective attacks, towards the mature woman. The two spheres of light and darkness combined and merged together in the form of a massive chaotic energy ball, that collapsed in on itself and exploded just a few meters ahead of the woman. The shockwave knocking her into the far wall on her side of the field, a small crater forming where she impacted. With her vision blurred, and quickly losing consciousness, the last thing she saw was Divine approaching her, before darkness took her senses.

* * *

Winner: Divine

A/N: First duel of the story, but definitely not the last. As you may come to read a few of the existing duel monsters cards that actually exist have had their effects either upgraded from their normal effects, and/or revamped. That will be a regularly occurring theme from now on. Since in this story, the duels follow more closely to the game in real life, I thought it would be best if some cards have revamped versions of their effects, and/or, if the cards featured aren't original, and they have differing effects in real life compared to their effects in the anime, then I would combine the two. Makes the duels more lively and exciting, I guess. At least in my opinion. So, with that said, you guys know the drill.

Also, I forgot to mention this before, the names of the OCs in this story, the ones that will possess the Duel Dragons, will be symbolic towards the Duel Dragon they possess and/or the deck they use. For example, Tian Sheng's name is the Chinese kanjis for Sky and Ascension. Whereas, this character's "name" is based off of her deck; _Eodunn Segye Am Yeou _isn't actually her name, though. It's a moniker that was given to her based on her deck. Which fun little fact, that moniker - _Eodunn Segye Am Yeou_ \- is Korean for Dark World Vixen. Her real name will be revealed later on.


	11. Awakening

**Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's: War of the Dragons**

**Chapter 11: Awakening**

* * *

A/N: For this chapter and maybe the next there will be little to likely no interactions with Team 5D's. The reason for that is to gather and round up the remaining duelists that will bare the six remaining Duel Dragons. And all of this will be before the 10th Anniversary Fortune Cup Tournament begins. I still have to come up with how I want the duelists to be found, their names, and most importantly what decks they will be using, but I think I've gotten that part down at least. Anyway, on with the story.

* * *

When Tian first awakened, the first thing he noticed was the feeling of the cold, hard stone floor pressed against his back. Another thing he felt was the warmth of something surrounding him. Blinking, trying to get used to the darkness around him, his eyes _hurt_ for one reason, or another that he couldn't place; it was as if he hadn't used them in a long time. It was the same with his body. The muscles in his legs ached, his arms strained, struggling to pull himself up in a seated position. His body having enough punishment, he was only able to get one leg up, before he unceremoniously fell back down.

Huffing a breath, Tian thought it best to sit down and rest for a moment before trying again. Now that he wasn't moving around, he was able to take notice of the room he was in. There wasn't much of anything really. Everything was bare; the floor, the walls and the ceiling. The room was made up of the same cold stone all around. There were only two noticeable features in the room; one was the candles that littered the ground - _"Must have been the warmth I felt earlier." _And number two, the darkness inside the room. It was heavy and compressing. Despite the number of lit candles flickering in the room, it barely lit up a small portion of said room; more specifically, the area surrounding where Tian was currently _"resting"_.

With nothing else to do, and his body's uncooperative responses to his brain, Tian began thinking of the last thing he could remember before darkness took him. _"I was in that alleyway… huddled up into a corner trying to fight off the cold. After that tsunami hit a number of years ago, I hadn't kept a place for myself for a long time. My family was gone, and the district I had lived in was completely submerged… so of course I lost my job. Bouncing between districts, I couldn't hold down a decent job for the life of me, so I took to some… rather questionable acts to survive, but that didn't work either, if my "performance" at the Temple was of any indication. The only things of any value I had were the clothes on my back, and my deck and duel disk kept in my bag. I was contemplating calling it quits once and for all when a storm hit. But just as I was wishing someone, or something take me away from this life… the strangest and most bizarre thing I had ever seen happened. A rift opened in the alleyway, and man passed through, walking straight towards me. I was afraid, scared out of my mind, terrified of what this man wanted. But when I was cornered, instead, he opted to tell me his name. He called himself 'Divine', and he told me had been watching me for a while. He told me he could take me away from all of my hardships, and all I had to do was accept a blank, duel monster card. Then everything turned white… and now I'm here. WAIT! My deck!"_

Quickly looking around, he sighed in relief when he found his bag beside him, but was then once again holding his breath just in case his cards weren't there. Opening the bag, he sighed once more when he found his cards and duel disk. But just to be sure, he rifled through his cards to be sure that they were all there. And for the most part, all of his cards were accounted for, but he also found a number of cards he had never seen, nor heard of before, but after reading their effects, he found that they fit perfectly with his deck. _"Almost too perfectly, wait what's this?"_ Pulling out the aforementioned card, he held in his hands what appeared to be the Synchro equivalent of one of the Legendary Egyptian God Cards; said to have been used by the infamous and very first King of Games.

Before he could ponder any further of the implications of this _"Divine"_ character possibly tampering with his deck, albeit in a way he never expected, the door on the far side of the wall opened up. Tian recognized the man by the mask that was obscuring half of his face as Divine, but he didn't recognize, nor was he prepared for what he saw next. The _thing_ that walked in after Divine looked like a living skeleton clad from skull to toe in a dark set of ancient battle armor. Too stunned and shocked beyond belief of how his life had turned out now, skeletor - as Tian's mind came up for the living skeleton - was the first to break the silent tension.

"_**Ah. You're awake. Welcome, Tian Sheng. I'm sure you have many questions that you'd like to ask, and answers you wish to those questions, and they will come in due time. However, there is a matter of utmost importance that needs to be attended to, so if you would be so inclined, I ask you take your leave with Divine here, and he will answer all of your questions to the best of his abilities. Now, if you would…"**_

Despite the mannerisms in which skeletor was speaking in, the tone and cold chill of his voice left little to be questioned; he wasn't asking. Gulping the lump in his throat that he was sure wasn't there before, just as he tried to move, Tian looked up as skeletor looked to Divine. The man leered at the skeleton next to him - probably because he threw him under the bus and he was going to have to "babysit" for a while - Divine begrudgingly agreed and held his palm out. For a moment, Tian was unsure if he was offering to help him stand, or what, but then Tian noticed the faint green energy that seeped out from the man's gloved hand. As it spread, it drifted closer to him, eventually enveloping his body. Tian tried to fight off a wave of hysteria and panic spreading through him, but he was having no such luck, shaking like a leaf.

"~sigh~ Don't move kid. You're body still needs adjusting after that little trip. What I'm doing right now is relaxing your body just enough for you to get up and moving, while my _'friend'_ here needs this room to attend to an important matter that can't wait. We were going to move you, but then you woke up." Dropping the energy seeping through his hand, this time he held it up to Tian again, and continued, "That should do it. Now come on, I'll tell you everything I can on the way to your chambers."

After taking a hesitant moment to grab a hold of Divine's hand, Tian was more than a little surprised as he was pulled to his feet without any pain flaring up. Flexing his fingers, and moving around a bit more, Tian found all the aches and pains had just disappeared, he also felt lighter too, but before getting a word in edgewise, taking a good look from the masked man told him to hurry up. And so, after grabbing his bag and new and improved deck, the two left the ritual chamber, with Divine casting a look back at skeletor, before grumbling to himself about how he came to be an overpowered and glorified babysitter.

As the door closed, the Skeleton Knight thrusted his palm outwards, as a black and purple opened up on the ground. As the portal began to die down, the wounded and unconscious figure of a beautiful woman with dark hair and ruby red lips was carefully descended into the center of the ritual circle. _**"Now, let's finish this, shall we, Miss Yeou, or should I say, Agamae Binya?"**_ Not expecting to get a reply from the woman, the Skeleton Knight got set to performing another shadow ritual.

* * *

After reaching another chamber room, Tian took a quick look around, and noticed that this room, and all the rooms he could look into, was all the same. The one difference in this room compared to the other room he woke up in was that there was no ritualistic candles centered into a circle. They were spread out along the walls, and there was even a bed. _"Well, at least I don't have to sleep on the floor." _

Taking a seat on the bed, Tian learned that it was surprisingly comfortable, but after sleeping on the streets like he had for a number of years, anything was more comfortable than asphalt. Divine meanwhile, was leaning against the far wall, arms crossed, and looking at Tian, waiting for him to open his mouth. He didn't have to wait too long. "Okay…. Uh, Divine, right? What the fuck was that thing?! A _living _skeleton?! And what the hell is this place? All the rooms look the same? More importantly, why bring me here, and what did you do to my deck? I'm not complaining or anything - I'm actually pretty grateful that I don't have to live on the street anymore, and what you did with my deck, the cards that I don't recognize fit perfectly - but this is all so strange and bizarre; it's just a little hard to believe."

With great trepidation, Divine resolved not to rub a hand across his face. _"This is going to be a long day, indeed."_ Sighing deeply, Divine began explaining and answering all of the questions Tian had to the best of his ability, without revealing too much information. As he answered Tian's questions, there were thoughts ringing around inside his mind. _"Strange… it doesn't appear if the shadow ritual had any effect on him at all. But that can't be the case. I was there at the beginning, I saw the darkness enter the boy's body, and witnessed him absorbing it. Maybe it's just taking longer to affect him? His Duel Dragon is one of the few that are of the light… I'll need to confer with the Skeleton Knight just to be sure."_

After a lengthy conversation, Tian looked at Divine as if he had grown a second head. "So… what you're saying is, is that you're insane? You honestly expect me to believe that a living skeleton is what is left of an ancient warrior that was left with the remaining power of a Dragon _God_, and that this place is his temple, and that you and I are one of his chosen; people with extraordinary power and potential that have the ability to wield four of the Dragon God's most powerful servants, that over millennia have turned into cards? Made to combat - what was it called again, the Crimson Dragon, and its chosen Signers? This sounds like something out of a novel, or a movie; even a fanfiction, not real life!"

Divine had to mentally count to ten to prevent himself to choking the life out the young man across the room. Divine wasn't a patient individual. Sure he could fake it with his charm and manipulative personality and character, but eventually the truth that was hidden behind closed doors would make itself known; if the events of the last decade have told him anything. So, reigning in his frustration and anger, Divine said, "Yes, I know how it all sounds, but believe me kid, if you've seen the things I have seen, and had been a part of the things I have been involved with in the past decade, than trust me, Tian; your opinion would change drastically. Now, I'll give you time to think on what I've just told you. As for me, I need to confer with - what did you call him? - Skeletor? - about something I've come to recently discover." And with that, Divine left Tian's chamber, leaving the poor, troubled young man to his own devices.

* * *

Just as Divine had opened the door to the ritual chamber, the Skeleton Knight had finished the ritual with Agamae. Taking a quick look at the woman lying unconscious in Tian's previous position, Divine could see that the wounds that he inflicted upon her during their duel in the pit were completely healed. _"Huh… so the ritual also heals wounds, or is that the Shadow Miasma at work? Better ask while I'm here."_ Standing back to his full height, the Skeleton Knight's attention was turned to Divine, when his disciple asked, "I don't think the ritual took with Tian. He's not acting the way I would think someone who just woke up from a ritual imbuing him with dark powers would be acting. And on that note, did you heal her wounds through the ritual, or was it because of the Shadow Miasma now inside of her?"

Chuckling darkly, the Skeleton Knight actually seemed amused by Divine's observation of Tian's personality. _**"Oh? And what might someone in Tian's position act like, in your opinion, Divine? I wonder, do you think he should be more like yourself? A megalomaniacal, power hungry lunatic bent on revenge?" **_Growling at the truth behind the Skeleton Knight's words, Divine resigned himself to keep calm. Learning from past personal experience, crossing the Skeleton Knight wasn't the brightest idea.

Exiting the ritual chamber, the Skeleton Knight further explained the effects the Shadow Miasma has. _**"How best do I explain this… Think of the Shadow Miasma as a virus. It corrupts, dominates and eventually destroys everything it comes into contact with. But those select few that can bend it to their will become all the more powerful. Those select few being the Duel Dragons themselves. Human beings aren't equipped enough to handle that kind of power, it would destroy them from the inside out. Think of the Dragons as conduits. They can impart Shadow Miasma from themselves onto others. Just enough for them to survive the effects, like I'm able to do to the Duel Dragons. Don't forget what I told you before, I am the product of all of the remaining Shadow Miasma that was left over by the Dragon of Darkness imparting it to one of its servants before its shell and myself were sealed away." **_

"So, you're saying that Tian's Duel Dragon is still _'infecting' _the kid with its power? Where does that leave myself, though? Other than the increase in my psychic powers I haven't any different than I did before I died. What else aren't you telling me?"

Stopping in the hallway, the Skeleton Knight turned towards Divine, and looked him over for a moment. Nodding to himself, the undead knight explained, _**"You've been imparted with the Shadow Miasma for a while now. I was waiting until we had acquired all of the original Duel Dragons' partners before delving any further, but I suppose we can start with you. Follow me."**_

Following after the Skeleton Knight like a lost dog trailing after its owner, the ancient, undead warrior led Divine to a different chamber room inside his "temple". As they entered the room, braziers lit from all corners of the room, revealing an arena; more specifically, an ancient duel arena. _**"This is where the final part of the Shadow Ritual takes place. The Shadow Miasma within you is dormant. You can feel it inside of you, but you can't actually use its power. Its presence within you is powerful enough to not only reawaken your psychic abilities, but also enhance them. But what you're feeling now is nothing compared to when you make that power your own. In order for you to do so, you must have your Duel Dragon battle with another, or a Signer Dragon, and then you must reign in its power, lest the Shadow Miasma destroys you."**_

Walking to the other side of the ancient duel field, the Skeleton Knight raised his right arm to his chest, and Divine watched as he summoned forth an ancient duel disk and attached it to his wrist. Much like the Skeleton Knight himself, his duel disk reflected its master's undead appearance. The skeletal mouth of a dragon's skull housed his deck, where as the center of the disk had the dragon's horns curved around the Life Point counter in the middle; the glowing midnight-black sphere pulsing with a violet energy almost like a beating heart pumping blood. The Graveyard slot appeared to be the jagged bone fragments of a Dragon's claw, where as the disk itself was pitch-black and violet purple in color, the card slots separated by the bony fringes of a dragon's wings.

Just as Divine watched as the dark, undead warrior summoned his equally dark duel disk, he noticed a sudden and familiar weight on his right arm. Looking down, he saw that his custom made jeweled gold and ruby duel disk was set on his arm. Looking back at the knight, the living skeleton announced, _**"Now, shall we begin?"**_

* * *

Skeleton Knight vs. Divine

Turn 1

SK: LP: 8000, Hand: 5 Cards, Field: 0 Cards, GY: 0 Cards, Banished: 0 Cards

Divine: LP: 8000, Hand: 5 Cards, Field: 0 Cards, GY: 0 Cards, Banished: 0 Cards

"_**Do not think of me as your master here! I am but just another foe for you to defeat! Because I will respond in kind! There is no holding back here, Divine! If you wish to use the Shadow like I do, you **__**must**__** control it! Bend it to your will, and you'll be all the more powerful! But first, I'll make the first move!"**_

Not wasting anytime, the Skeleton Knight pulled a card from his hand - a Spell by the looks of it - and slotted it inside his ghastly and dark duel disk. _**"I play the Spell, Ghost Fusion!" **_As the said card was played, the image of the card appeared. The background of the card was that of the polymerization portal, but it was completely blacked out, resembling more of a black hole, with streaks of purple resonating in the center. The two monsters that were being fused were obviously Zombie-Types based on their skeletal structures, but Divine had never seen, nor heard of any monsters resembling those on the card.

An eerie fog settled down on the field, as flashes of purple lightning struck the field, and the sound of wailing souls and cackling spirits could be heard. Divine took an involuntary step back, as the ghastly imagery and sounds resonated in the barely lit duel arena. The overwhelming sense of darkness approaching all the more present as the swirling black hole and flashes of purple lightning intensified.

**Ghost Fusion: Normal/Spell/Effect: Reveal 1 Fusion Monster in your Extra Deck that lists "Zombie-Type" Monsters as Fusion-Material: Then send Zombie-Type monsters from your hand, Deck, and/or Field to your GY (You can also use Zombie-Type monsters from your GY, but banish those monsters instead). Special Summon the revealed monster from your Extra Deck (This Special Summon is treated as a Fusion Summon). You cannot Normal Summon (but you can set) this turn if you activated this card.**

"_**With this Spell, I reveal the one and only Fusion Duel Dragon - Dragonecro, the Nethersoul Dragon - from my Extra Deck, then, I send Ghost Wyvern, Dragon of the Underworld and Ghost Sleeper, Sleeping Beauty of the Underworld from my deck to my Graveyard in order to Fusion Summon my beast!" **_

**Ghost Wyvern, Dragon of the Underworld: DARK Attribute, Level 4, Zombie/Effect: If you control a face-up Ghost Sleeper, Sleeping Beauty of the Underworld on your side of the field, you can Special Summon this card from your hand, or GY. If this card is in your GY, and your opponent activates a card effect that would destroy a DARK monster, or would destroy a DARK monster in battle; you can banish this card instead, and negate the destruction of all DARK monsters on your side of the field. This effect can only be used once per duel. ATK/DEF: 1700/0**

**Ghost Sleeper, Sleeping Beauty of the Underworld: DARK Attribute, Level 3, Zombie/Effect: If you control a face-up Ghost Wyvern, Dragon of the Underworld, or Ghost Lancer, Spearman of the Underworld on your side of the field, you can Special Summon this card from your hand, or GY. If this card is in your GY, and your opponent selects a DARK monster as an attack target, you can banish this card instead, and negate the attack. As long as this card remains in the GY, DARK monsters you control cannot be destroyed by card effects. ATK/DEF: 1300/0**

The two monsters Divine recognized as the monsters on the artwork of the card - Ghost Wyvern, a skeletal and decaying dragon and Ghost Sleeper, a thin, frail decaying body of a woman clothed in torn and shredded rags of brown loincloths - were sucked up into the portal, the black hole closing in on itself, as the fog increased in size and the flashes of lightning thundered louder on the field; the Skeleton Knight chanted:

"_**Break down the door of Hades and arise! Ghost Fusion Summoning! Dragonecro, the Nethersoul Dragon!**_

As the ghostly fog dissipated, an enormous black door appeared with the skull of a demonic dragon's head rested in the center, and black iron chains coiled and wrapped around the giant doors. Divine actually flinched when he heard the roar of the undead dragon behind the door; the booming growl sending chills, colder than a winter's snow cascading through his body. He couldn't stop the shaking as the dragon clashed its large, skeletal, clawed fists against the door, breaking it down, then unleashed blue flames of the underworld from its maw, releasing a battle cry, challenging Divine.

The flames died down and revealed a dragon equal, if not larger in size compared to the few times Divine had seen Yusei's Stardust Dragon. Two large, pitch-black, bat-like wings attached to its lower back, along with two smaller wings, with large white spikes poking out of the front on the ridges of said smaller wings that were attached to its upper back. Three, large, white talon-like pauldrons on each of it shoulders. Huge, hulking, violet-purple arms, each with a skeletal-white band wrapped around its biceps, with skeletal-white wrists guards, and four pronged talons in each hand. An elongated, violet-purple neck, with a skeletal-white band around it, and a curved fin resting atop. From the center of its head to the top of its skull was colored pitch-black, while its face was a pale, skeletal-white, resembling a horned, demonic dragon, with two large, pitch-black horns curved inward, the points inches from its jawline. The dragon had no legs to speak of. Instead, its lower body stretched out into a long and lengthy tail. The scales on the back pitch-black, while its underbelly was violet-purple, with spiked, skeletal-white bands wrapped around its body from lower chest all the way to the tip of its tail; its pectorals the same pale, skeletal-white as the rest of its undead armaments. Its most frightening feature, in Divine's opinion, was the aura of wailing souls that emanated from its body.

**Dragonecro Nethersoul Dragon: DARK Attribute, Level 8, Dragon/Fusion/Effect: 2 Zombie-Type Monsters: Must First be Fusion Summoned. Monsters cannot be destroyed by battle with this card. At the end of the Damage Step, if this card battled a monster that has an original Level: That monster's ATK becomes 0, also, if that monster is still face-up on the field, Special Summon 1 "Dark Soul Token" (Zombie-Type/DARK/Level?/ATK/?/DEF/0). (When Summoned, its Level and ATK becomes equal to the original Level and ATK of that monster.) You can only control 1 "Dragonecro Nethersoul Dragon".**

"_**And with that, I end my turn. Summon your Duel Dragon, Divine, and show me if you have the tenacity to bend its dark power to your will! Will you conquer the darkness, or will it render your soul to its whim?"**_

* * *

Turn 2

SK: LP: 8000, Hand: 4 Cards, Field: 1 Monster, GY: 1 Spell and 2 Monster Cards, Banished: 0 Cards

Divine: LP: 8000, Hand: 6 Cards, Field: 0 Cards, GY: 0 Cards, Banished: 0 Cards

Shakingly drawing his card, Divine looked down at his hand, and realize he had the cards necessary to summon his Duel Dragon on his first turn. But he hesitated. He hated to admit it, but he was deathly terrified of the creature staring him down. Not only was he surprised and shocked to have learned that there existed a Fusion Duel Dragon, but he was just as shocked when he could literally feel the bone, chilling power coming from the beast. He had realized all too late, that these cards - these Dragons in the hands of their holders - could inflict real damage. Mentally shaking away his fear, Divine ridiculed himself from showing such weakness. _"Get a hold of yourself! You've faced death before! This isn't anything you haven't endured! I can't hope to possibly to stand a snowball's chance in hell of trying to control my Duel Dragon if I can't even reign in my own fear! You want me at full power, skeletor!? You got it! No one looks down on me!"_

"First things first! I activate the Spell, **Emergency Teleport**! And with it, I Special Summon the Psychic-Tuner monster, **Krebons**!"

**Emergency Teleport: Quick-Play/Spell/Effect: Special Summon 1 Level 3 or lower Psychic-Type monster from your hand, or Deck, but banish at the End Phase of this turn.**

**Krebons: DARK Attribute, Level 2, Psychic/Tuner/Effect: When this card is selected as an attack target, you can pay 800 Life Points to negate the attack. ATK/DEF: 1200/400**

As Spell card made contact with Divine's jeweled gold and ruby duel disk, a portal opened in the air, and from it, a crazed jester like man - clad in gold and purple, with its mouth apparently zipped shut - spun wildly, before settling itself down on a cube made up of green, psychic energy. Then, picking up another card in his hand, Divine slammed it down next to his Krebons, and an all too familiar, armored, and green skinned android was summoned next to the psychic jester.

"If I control a face-up Psychic monster, I can Normal summon my **Armored Axon Kicker** from my hand without sacrificing an already existing monster. But I'm not done just yet! I tune the Level 2 Krebons, with the Level 6 Armored Axon Kicker, for a Level 8 Synchro summon!"

**Armored Axon Kicker: EARTH Attribute, Level 6, Psychic/Effect: If you control a face-up Psychic-Type monster, you can Normal Summon this card without Tributes. If this card destroys a monster by battle, take damage equal to half the ATK of the destroyed monster, and then you can Special Summon 1 monster from your GY with ATK less than or equal to the damage you took.**

Armored Axon Kicker became an orange silhouette of six white stars, while Krebons became an orange silhouette of two green rings, as a dark violet beam of energy was produced, engulfing the two monsters, and resonating from behind Divine as he chanted: _**"Black flames of vengeance call upon the Lord of Flies to cast your shadow on this disgusting, human infested world! Synchro Summon! Level 8! Beelze of the Diabolic Dragons!**_

The energy behind Divine surged, and overflowed, taking him in its blighted path, just before unleashing its dark and terrible power in the form of a large, two headed dragon with elongated necks connected to a central part of the beast's body, which oddly resembled the head of a fly - represented by its shortened name Beelze, most likely referring to Beelzebub. Two arms were located beneath what would represent the "shoulders" of the Duel Dragon, as its tail was also connected to the central portion of its body, as it too, had no legs to speak of. The scales of the dragon a dark, violet-purple, with yellow-gold colors speckled throughout its form, but the most note-worthy description, was Divine, as he found himself merged with the creature, sitting atop of its central body part.

**Beelze of the Diabolic Dragons: DARK attribute, Level 8, Dragon/Synchro/Effect: 1 DARK Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner monsters: Cannot be destroyed by battle or by card effects. When you take battle damage from an attack involving this card, or from an opponent's card effect: This card gains ATK equal to the damage you took. ATK/DEF: 3000/3000.**

As soon as Divine realized where he was - merged and connected with the very beast he summoned, quite literally - his mind and body was engulfed by the Dragons' dark power, its Shadow Miasma resonating with the same energy inside of him. It felt like his body was ripping itself apart from the inside. Clutching his head in pain, and unable to keep the pained screams inside any longer, Divine could actually _feel_ the darkness moving across his skin. Black, track-like markings, webbed up along the side of his neck before reaching his face quickly spreading. His mind futility fighting off the feeling of unconsciousness, as the whites of his eyes became black like ink, and the irises and pupils lost their color, becoming a deathly, pale white.

The Shadow Miasma was quickly spreading and infecting Divine's body, but the Skeleton Knight knew he couldn't help Divine in this situation, not like he was going to in the first place. Divine needed to search deep within himself to find the strength he needs to overcome the Shadow Miasma threatening to destroy his body. For humans, they needed to think of a memory. A very powerful memory; one where they could find the strength to push themselves past their limitations.

As Divine's skin began to peel and crack from the corruption, he could feel himself slipping away quickly. _"NO! I can't die here! Not after everything I've been through!" _Like a light flickering in the darkness, Divine had come across a memory he had long forgotten. The day he tossed aside his human limitations and embraced the power of being a psychic duelist. Pulling his hands away from his head, he clenched his fingers forming fists, and screamed at the top of his lungs, trying desperately to hold onto that thin thread of control as more memories of his life flashed through, each one anchoring Divine's control over the darkness spreading, slowly, but surely, realizing that the effects were receding. Until finally, he remembered not a memory, but a promise to himself: _"I can't die! I will not die here! Not when I still have my vengeance and revenge to obtain!"_

With a final yell, Divine managed to reign the Diabolic Dragon's dark power into himself, before a flash of dark light erupted from both the dragon and Divine himself, engulfing the duo, before the dragon seemingly disappeared in as it slowly broke itself down into smaller pieces of itself before it finally ceased, Divine's body drifting slowly to the ground.

Deactivating his duel disk, the Skeleton Knight's draconic servant disappeared, as the Knight walked to the exhausted psychic, lying on the floor breathless and unconscious, but alive. _**"Hmph. So, he was able to do it. That's one down. When the girl awakens, we'll have she and Tian participate as well. And then we can move on to phase two."**_

Duel: No Result

* * *

A/N: This wasn't what I had originally planned, but after I got to a certain point, it took on a life of its own, and I just continued from there. The next couple of chapters will be more villain-centric. With little, if not no interaction with the heroes at all. We've seen them for a little while, and now we take a look back behind the other side of the curtain. Originally, I had set up the whole villain arc to be only four chapters - 10 through 12 - but with how long that they would have been, since there's 10 Duel Dragons in total; I'm probably going to break it up into more chapters. I know that some of you may not be keen on only seeing the villain side of things for a while, but we're getting closer to when Team 5D's clash with Skeleton Knight's Crusade, so it'll be all worth it in the end.


	12. Empty Ascension

**Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's: War of the Dragons**

**Chapter 12: Empty Ascension**

* * *

A/N: I apologize for not updating sooner. Studying for my final class, coupled with my exhaustion due to my high blood sugar, and filling out applications for potential job offers took up a lot of my time. I also wasn't sure how I wanted to go forward from the previous chapter. I was contemplating making a one shot, instead of this chapter since it's been a little over a year since I published _Lovers' Bond_. But I decided that I would probably do that sometime later in the future.

Also, just an FYI; if I wasn't clear before, let me explain that _Eoduun Segya Am Yeou _isn't the real name of the female character introduced in chapter 10. It's just a moniker that was given to her because of the type of deck she uses, plus her personality that she displayed during her time in the Underground Duelling Pit. Her real name is Agamae Binya, which is a combination of the words Agma and Bin; which in korean means empty or void and demon/demoness or ogre, and extra letters taken from her moniker.

* * *

The first thing she felt was the aching pain in her back, and the pounding in her head. As she tried to move, she felt paralyzed by the pain in her arms and legs; the muscles not cooperating with the command that her brain was telling them. Huffing, she laid back down, and tried to open her eyes. At first, the pain and the burning sensation she felt was all too much, like she had been staring at the sun for too long, but eventually, the uncomfortable pain subsided, and she took in the room around her.

Immediately, she started to panic. She had no memory of ever being in this place, and try as she might, she couldn't move very much, not with the pain still present in her arms and legs. Taking a deep breath, and focusing on her breathing, Agamae was able to calm herself down just enough to take in the room she was currently residing in. Stone floors, stone walls, lit candles placed in a ritualistic fashion, with herself centered in the middle. She guessed that the stone floor was to blame for her pounding migraine, and aching back pains.

Turning her head around, she found her obsidian black and blood red duel disk off to the side along with what she could make out as her deck case. _"That's good."_ She thought to herself. She didn't know would have happened to her if she ever lost her deck. It was the only thing of value she had left, and she would rather die than let anyone take that away from her. When she could feel the "feeling" of her limbs come back to her, it took some modicum of effort, but she was finally able to sit up and cross her legs.

After flexing her arms, cracking her knuckles and moving her legs and feet for a minute, she managed to stand up to her full height, and after stretching her back, she moved across the room, grabbed her duel disk and deck, and went to leave the room. But just as she her hand was about to make contact with the doorknob, the door suddenly opened and revealed a man cloaked in a dark robe and cowl, with half of his face obscured by a plain, white mask. All of a sudden, the events of the Underground Duelling Pit came crashing back as she locked her eyes with the man in front of her.

"You!" She seethed with venom and hatred and a small amount of fear present in her voice. Stumbling back into the room, Agamae put as much distance as possible between herself and the man she remembered as "Divine". The horrors and aftermath of their destructive duel still present in her mind. Each step he took forward, she took two steps back, until she was trapped against the wall. Her heartbeat was erratic, palms sweaty, and breathing escalating as he approached her. Frozen in fear, she could do nothing but stare into his one, visible green eye, until he abruptly stopped advancing towards her.

Still frozen, the vixen almost didn't notice someone else joining them. Tearing her eyes away from the most dangerous psychic duelist she had the unfortunate possibility of meeting, she spared a glance at the other occupant in the room, and was completely floored when she stared at the unmoving and creepy, unsettling red eyes of a living skeleton. If she was frozen in fear because of Divine's presence, she was absolutely terrified just looking at this... _thing_… that was standing next to Divine. If it wasn't the overwhelming feeling of dread and despair coursing through her, she would have believed that it was just some punk in a Halloween costume.

"_**Ah, good. You are awake, my dear. As I'm sure you are aware, you are not in Korea anymore. You were brought here by my associate here; someone, I believe that you are well acquainted with." **_

Sneering at the walking, talking skeleton, Agamae turned her glare towards Divine, and spoke with no small amount of contempt to her captor, "Oh, believe me. I'm well '_acquainted' _with '_Divine'_ here. You're so called _'associate'_ nearly killed me, not to mention dozens of others with that stunt he pulled." Divine shrugged as if the whole thing was meaningless, then spoke in a cold, harsh tone that sent chills down her spine, "If I had stayed, I'd have killed more. I didn't, nor do I care how many people died back there. And don't act like you're not even slightly grateful for sparing and freeing you from that hell hole. I saw enough while I was there. You, and all the other duelists there were nothing more than slaves being forced to be put against each other and to be used as entertainment and sport for the people in the crowd."

Agamae gulped back the lump in her throat, and pressed herself even further back into the wall, as Divine took another step closer, and leaned forward, speaking just low enough that only she could hear. "Also… I can read your mind… See your thoughts… if you had even a fraction of the power I wield; you'd have done the same thing I did. For, you see… I _know_ what else they used you and all the other duelists for… duelling wasn't the only _'sport'_ that those… _people _used you for. So… if I were you… I'd show just a bit more respect. Because if you think for one second that the things those people did to you were horrible, than you have no idea of what atrocities I'm capable of."

All of the color drained from Agamae as Divine stepped back and rejoined the Skeleton Knight's side. Her legs buckled, and she slowly slid down to her knees. Her hands went to her face, as she quietly sobbed. Not just from Divine's very real threat, but ironically, due to Divine's actions, she was free from everything she had been subjected to during her very long stay at the Pits. And as sickening as the thought was, she owed him everything. It had been so long, she had believed that she would never have escaped from that wretched hell she and all the others there were subjected to. But now, now that the truth was out, and she no longer had to live in that place, a weight was lifted from her shoulders, and despite her misgivings and general fear of Divine and the Skeleton Knight, she would follow them as long as she could.

* * *

Exiting the room, Divine and the Skeleton Knight left the young woman to her own devices for the time being. _**"It won't be much longer now…"**_ The Skeleton Knight thought to himself. With Divine's ceremonial ritual complete, and both Tian and Agamae awake from the initial "transfusion" of Shadow Miasma; his plans to gather the remaining holders of the six mirrored copies of the Signer Dragons will be complete once both Tian and Agamae have survived the final "rites" of the Shadow Ritual.

Following behind the Skeleton Knight, as they walked the distance in silence to Tian's chambers, Divine had felt something ever since returning with Agamae, and that feeling was magnified after successfully bending the Duel Dragon's Shadow Miasma to his will. This feeling he had… it was a connection to the source - to the Skeleton Knight. Looking deeper, Divine could remember that feeling ever since he had awoken in this temple, but now that he was "reborn", that faint sense that he had been feeling all this time was made much more clearly now.

He hadn't thought about it with everything going on recently, but now that everything has calmed down - sort of - Divine had the opportunity to delve further into what he's been feeling and experiencing, and he wasn't going to waste any more time. Reaching out, Divine grabbed the Skeleton Knight's pauldron, stopping the immortal entity in its tracks. Then asked, "Before we inform Tian of Agamae's awakening, there's something I've been wanting to know. Ever since I woke up in this place, I've had this strange feeling… this… sensation… that I'm being watched. I felt it when I was in China, and again in Korea. But after my "rebirth" that feeling has been magnified, and it's at its strongest when I'm with you. So… what else is there that you haven't told me? That you've 'forgotten' to mention this time?"

Reaching over his shoulder, the undead paladin removed Divine's hand from his pauldron, then cocked his head just enough to glance at Divine from the corner of his unblinking, red eyes. Staring at his disciple for a moment, the accursed warrior could see the fear that Divine held in his eyes - despite the psychic's attempts at concealing it - yet, he stood his ground, unwavering from the Skeleton Knight's penetrating gaze. After another minute passed, the Skeleton Knight answered, _**"First, do **__**not**__** question me again, Divine. I will tell you what you want to know, but from this point forward, I will tell you what you want and may need to know when **__**I**__** decide. Second, I'm actually surprised that you managed to 'feel' my presence, even back then. Your powers continue to grow and intrigue me. Which then leads to my final answer, to which is quite simple. The sensation you have felt, and have been feeling is simply a connection - a link - to me. It was born when I infused some of my Shadow Miasma with you when I first brought here, and was then enhanced, or magnified, as you coined, after the final ritual. Long story, cut short, ever since from that point on, I have been able to see, hear, and even 'feel' the things you have, and Tian and Agamae have ever since being brought here."**_

Divine looked back at the Skeleton Knight, with an odd combination of fear, awe, anger, and envy as he stared back at his master. Perplexed from what he had heard, he could only mutter, more to himself, than to the living skeleton in front of him, "You… you knew… everything. From the moment I woke up to the moment I stepped foot in China… you knew… you could _see_ everything… _hear_ everything…" When Divine was finally able to shake himself free from his muttering, he questioned, "You see and hear a great many things from inside this hidden temple… What else are you hiding?" Chuckling, the Skeleton Knight responded, _**"There is little that can be kept from my eyes and ears when something peaks my interest. Simply put, your growing powers both intrigue and interest me, and may play a role in what I have planned in the future. And to answer your unasked question, yes, I can see and hear things from outside this temple without the 'link' I have with my Crusaders. However, it requires me to draw more of my power than what would be required to do if I was looking through one of my disciple's eyes. Despite what you may believe, I am not some all-powerful being. I too have my limits. They are just beyond human comprehension."**_

And with that said, the Skeleton Knight left, walking back to his original task, not bothering to look if Divine would follow or not. Because he already knew he would.

* * *

Meanwhile, in Tian's room, the young man had been studying his new and improved deck ever since he was led here by Divine. Not that there was much else to do. Having been homeless for a number of years, Tian didn't have a phone, or any portable game devices with him. It probably wouldn't have mattered in any case. The room he was currently occupying had no outlets to speak of, so it wasn't like he could he charge his electronic devices, if he had any on his person.

No, besides sleeping and waiting for Divine, or the Skeleton Knight - Skeletor, as Tian likes to call him - to come by, the only other option was for Tian to familiarize himself with the new cards that were in his deck. Tian was a modest duelist, winning more often than losing, but he had lost a fair amount. After his life went to shit creek, the first thing he did was take up duelling illegally. Or in simple terms, participate in underground and unsanctioned matches.

For a time he did well, winning more duels than he lost, until he was cheated out of his last duel. His opponent was a risk taker, an adrenaline junky that was fixated on the thrill of putting up a duelists' best card on the line, otherwise known as, the ante rule: an illegal, and unorthodox method of taking your opponent's best card should they lose a duel. For Tian, however, this was a line he couldn't cross. His deck was the only thing of value he had left, and losing just one card, not to mention, his best, was simply too much to ask for.

When he wouldn't comply, his opponent rallied the other duelists, proclaiming that Tian wasn't a real duelist if he wasn't even open to the idea of betting his best card. And just like that, Tian's life too another suicide dive, after he was thrown out of the underground duelling ring; on the plus side he managed to keep his deck and all of its cards intact.

Shaking his head away from thoughts of the past, he continued to study the new cards in his possession that fit perfectly with his deck, when he suddenly felt a cold chill run down his spine. His mind conjuring images of himself back in that same underground duelling ring, using his new cards, more specifically, the powerful Synchro-Slifer look a like to destroy that obnoxious punk, and all those that had wronged him simply because he wouldn't risk the only thing he had left. Worst of all, try as he might, Tian found himself _enjoying_ the possibility, when suddenly there was a knock on his door. The feeling and the images vanished, leaving Tian in a cold sweat, and feelings of fear, emptiness, and the most disturbing of all, _longing_.

* * *

Soon afterwards, Tian found himself and a voluptuous vixen whose name was Agamae standing side by side with one another facing Divine and the Skeleton Knight from across a room that could only be described as an ancient duelling arena. After his little episode, skeletor and Divine came to him, and told him that they had someone that they would like to introduce to him. Confused, scared, and curious, Tian quickly followed them out of his room, and shelved his dark thoughts in the deepest recesses of his mind for the time being.

When they returned to the chamber room where he had woken up in, Tian came face to face with the ebony haired vixen that he was currently standing beside. All dark thoughts on revenge were completely shattered and his mind blank of anything else other than the beauty of the woman on the ground before them. Quickly taking in her disheveled appearance, the young man had come to the conclusion that she was distraught and had been through her own personal hell before she came here. Noticing the dark looks that were shared between herself and Divine, Tian had gotten the distinct impression that there was some bad blood between the two, and that Divine could have been the one responsible for her tear stricken face and disheveled look.

Before he had, or she had the opportunity to properly introduce one another, the Skeleton Knight led them from the chamber room, and into the ancient duelling arena they now stood in. Something about reawakening their power, and the power of the dragons that each of them held, and that the only way to do so was in a duel. Tian looked to Agamae as she turned to look at him, both quickly realizing that there was no turning back from this point forward...

* * *

After the Skeleton Knight and Divine left her to her own devices, and after finally calming down from her crying fit from earlier, she found that all of her belongings - which besides the clothes she wore - were nearby on a low table. Moving her legs and feet around for a moment, Agamae came to the conclusion that the muscles in her body had finally relaxed, and she was able to move around without any pain or aches present.

Pushing herself off of the floor, she walked the short distance to the table, and took a seat next to it, as she breathed a sigh of relief knowing that her duel disk and deck were there. _"At least __he__ didn't damage my deck and disk. Prick." _Removing her deck from her duel disk, she made sure to take a thorough look through her deck, just to make absolutely sure she had all of her cards. However, she quickly came to realize that she had a few new cards added in, including a tuner and a synchro monster! _"What the-? I don't ever remember putting these here before… Never mind that I've never even heard of this card before. Void Ogre Dragon, huh?"_

As she read the effects of the card, along with all of her new cards, her eyes widened in shock and awe at how _perfect_ the cards seemed to fit in her deck. Almost _too _perfect. But instead of questioning how her deck came to occupy seemingly rare, and unheard of cards before, she took apart her deck, and quickly studied each card, combining them into different scenarios in which she could create various combos and counterattacks with her new cards.

Having nothing else better to do, she continued to do this for what seemed like hours, until she felt this chill in the air. All too soon, her "study session" came to a close, when images, more like visions, of herself being back in the pit, but this time, she wasn't duelling out of the need for survival, she was duelling for revenge. With her new card - Void Ogre Dragon - tearing through all of those that survived from Divine's attack, all of whom played a role in her suffering. She watched herself enjoying the destruction and death she was responsible for. Finally, after all those years she would finally be taking vengeance and retribution for what they did to her, and others like her. And if anyone stood in her way, they would share the same fate, and she would gleefully rip them apart, piece by tiny piece.

When a knock came to her door, her mind was removed from that haunting vision, with a shuddering breath, she idly turned her hands over, and watched as they shook uncontrollably. _"What was that?! I - that - that couldn't have been me, could it?! I hated living in that hell hole, but that wasn't what I wanted… That wasn't justice, nor was it vengeance… that was… that was murder, plain and simple… and I was laughing! I was enjoying it! What the hell is wrong with me!?" _

Shaken from her thoughts and the recent images plaguing her mind, the door opened revealing Divine - her shaken form quickly turned into a dark scowl as her eyes met his - the Skeleton Knight, and a young man behind the living skeleton. For a moment all thoughts of revenge and murder were gone when she looked at the young man. He was obviously not from Korea, nor was he from Japan like Divine. Chinese maybe? He looked completely stunned as he continued to stare at her. She had seen that look before; that same expression on the faces of those… _fiends_ as they used her for their own selfish pleasure.

But, there was something else that was there in his eyes, it wasn't the same repulsive leer that she had often seen. No, instead, it was of admiration and awe. For a moment, Agamae had felt something she hadn't felt for a long time, flattery. Giving the young man a small smile in return - one that she was sure that he didn't notice as he continued to gawk at her - she was quickly on her feet before she had a chance to introduce herself.

As they walked the stone corridors of the seemingly infinite temple, they were led to a room resembling an ancient duel arena. The being that referred to itself as the Skeleton Knight and Divine walked to the other side of the room, as the young man that Divine had introduced as Tian Sheng took place to her right. The two young people looked confused, until the Skeleton Knight had explained the reason for why they are here; to reawaken their latent powers and the powers of the Duel Dragons - the Dragon Synchro Monsters which were referred as, and that they could only be awakened with a duel.

Taking a look at the man next to her, she could see the same expression on his face that she was sure she was sporting as well; fear and uncertainty.

* * *

Unlike a traditional tag duel, the Skeleton Knight would go first, Divine second, and then she and finally Tian would take their turns. Unorthodox, but what wasn't as of yet? Quickly, both Tian and Agamae knew that the Skeleton Knight was serious when he was able to summon a monster neither of them had heard of; Dragonecro Nethersoul Dragon. The room was immediately surrounded in a deep, dark fog. Which then revealed an equally dark and foreboding door, encased in large, lengthy chains.

The chains began to give way, when the two young people heard banging from the other side of the door. Suddenly, after the Skeleton Knight finished his chant, the chains were shattered, and the door burst wide open as the undead, demonic dragon released its wailing and shrieking battle cry; striking fear into all. Tian flinched and was visibly shaking as he gazed at the dragon, not even bothering to hide the fact that he was trembling in his boots. Agamae was serving no better. The chill she felt from before came back with a vengeance as soon as the dragon took form.

Taking in its appearance, she was reminded somewhat of one of the Wicked God cards; Dreadroute, the dark twin of Obelisk the Tormentor. Gulping the lump in her throat, she also noticed the most disturbing aspect of the undead creature, its aura. Wailing souls of the dead seemed to wrap around it like a blanket, magnifying the already present dread that was laid upon the field as soon as the duel began. Unfortunately, her uneasiness was about to increase tenfold.

* * *

Afterwards, Divine took his turn, and once again proved to Agamae that he was a seasoned duelist. On his first turn, he managed to summon a tuner, and a high level monster without having to offer his first monster as a tribute. Realizing what was coming, Agamae was certain that Divine would have summoned one of his signature Psychic Synchro Monsters, such as Thought Ruler Archfiend, but oh how wrong she was.

If the feeling of dread was heavy before, it became downright unsettling and unbearable as another dragon, the likes of which neither Tian, or Agamae had seen, or heard of before was revealed. Unlike most Synchro Summons, instead of a green pillar of light engulfing the monsters that were required for a proper synchro summon, a dark, violet purple beam of energy engulfed not only Divine's monsters, but he as well.

When he had finished his rather dark and unsettling synchro chant, Tian exclaimed a rather loud, "WHAT THE FUCK!?" while Agamae gasped in equal surprise and horror, as she voluntarily took a few steps back. For what was birthed from that light was a large, two headed dragon, joined in the center of what resembled the head of a giant bug. But the most unsettling image of all was Divine. From the waist up he was perfectly fine, but from the waist down, he had merged with his Duel Dragon, not unlike how one of the legendary duelists, Marik Ishtar was able to do when in possession of the most powerful of the three Egyptian Gods; The Winged Dragon of Ra.

* * *

After Divine had ended his turn, Agame was up next, but yet, she was frozen in fear. The overwhelming dread and despair she felt as she stared down Dragonecro, and Beelze overcame her instinct to rebel. She hated to admit it, but she was scared. Far more scared than she had been in all of her life; including her previous duel with Divine. She stood there, still as a statue as she cowered in fear, until she felt something inside her. This dark force… pushing her resolve to fight… Shaking her head free of all thoughts of giving up, she took her turn.

Gazing at the cards in her hand, she quickly came to the conclusion that she had all the cards she needed to summon _her_ Duel Dragon. Formulating her plan, she first used the effect of a card that Divine knew all too well, Dark World Dealings. In a normal duel, only the two participants would be required to play by the cards' effects, but in a tag duel, all four duelists must abide by its effects.

As each duelist drew a card, and then subsequently discarded another, she then activated the effect of one of the new monsters that were added to her deck, the tuner monster **Viola, Witchqueen of Dark World***. Suddenly, a violet circle opened up on Agamae's field revealing a rather… for lack of a better word, attractive demonic feminine figure clad in lilac demonic armor, with a violet cape and cowl obscuring her face, while wielding a witch doctor's staff with a violet crystal perched at the top.

**Viola, Witchqueen of Dark World: DARK Attribute, Level 2, Fiend/Tuner/Effect: If this card was discarded to the GY by a card effect: Special Summon this card. If this card was discarded by the effect of a "Dark World" card: Special Summon this card, then immediately after this effect resolves, discard all cards in your hand, then Special Summon 1 Fiend-Type monster from your deck with a level equal to the number of cards discarded by this card's effect +1. Then immediately after this effect resolves, Synchro Summon 1 DARK Attribute Synchro monster from your Extra Deck. If you activate this effect, you cannot conduct your Battle Phase this turn. ATK/DEF: 500/300**

Using her new card's power, Agamae discarded the five remaining cards in her hand, then Special Summoned the level six Goldd, Wu-Lord of Dark World from her deck, evident by the portal that it was just summoned from. However, neither monster remained on the field for much longer, as the crystal perched atop of Viola's staff began to emit an eerie violet light, which then spread over her body, transforming herself into two bright stars, as Goldd turned into a silhouette of six stars. As the two monsters were engulfed into the eerie light, Agamae chanted, _**"Arise from the space between Heaven and Hell… From Purgatory! Come forth, level 8! Void Ogre Dragon!**_

The eery, violet light suddenly took a much darker turn, bleeding a dark, crimson, blood red, with an equally black aura emanating from within; the culminating energies burst open, and from within, a dragon colored in pitch-black, ebony scales, with blood red orbs fixated on the dragon's chest, torso, clawed hands, and one centered on its head. Its entire form was spiked or horned in one way or another. From the horns on its head to the spiked tip of its tail; from its shoulders to its elbows, all the way up to its wings, not one inch of its body wasn't sharpened to a blade's edge. But just as it was summoned, Agamae doubled over in agony, as the deathly aura emanating from her dragon quickly spread along her writhing form.

Tian tried to rush over to help, but was stopped by both Divine and Skeletor's voices, commanding him to stop, and to let this happen. Anger and raged seethed into his being as he glared at the two from across the field, as he exclaimed, "What?! You expect me to do nothing?!" The Skeleton Knight remained calm as he responded, _**"This needs to happen. In order for both her and the Duel Dragon she wields to reach their full potentials. She needs to overcome her anguish, if she hopes to control Void Ogre from here on out in the future. She's come too far to fail now, as have you. There's no turning back from this point forward. Either she will overcome this, or she will **__**perish**__**." **_

Stunned and shocked silent, Tian could do nothing but watch, as tears leaked and flooded from Agamae's eyes as the pain became so unbearable she was curled into a fetal position on the floor, clutching her pounding headache in her tightening grasp. She was just barely conscious enough to have heard the most important bits of the Skeleton Knight's response. _"Overcome. Or Perish."_ As her breathing escalated to near hyperventilation, this black essence which unbeknownst to either Tian, or Agamae was Shadow Miasma, began spreading all along her writhing body, spider webbing all across her form at an alarming rate.

She could do nothing but shut her eyes, and wait for the inevitable end. They say, that at the end of your life, your entire existence is flashed before your eyes. As for Agamae, it wasn't fulfilling experience. Ever since her parents died, and her extended family sold her off to an orphanage, her life has been one hell after another. When she was of age, after living an unfulfilling and unwelcome life at the orphanage, she ran away, and wound up joining an Underground Duelling ring. After proving herself to be a more than capable duelist, she came across a man that promised her everything she had ever wanted, if she would agree to be managed by him; if she knew what she knew now, she never would have taken him up on his offer.

For years, she lived in that pit of hell, doing everything she could just to survive the next day, and the day after that. Often times she would cry herself to sleep, until as much as she hated to admit, she was used to it; how her life turned out, and what was expected of her. But one thing that never changed, were the dreams she had before her parents' death. The memories that they shared together. As she continued to reminisce on what her life was before, the black ink that had very nearly overtaken her writhing body began to recede, until eventually it was dispersed from her being when she let out a screaming cry.

A burst of dark energy erupted from Agamae's unconscious form, as the aura from Void Ogre Dragon receded from her form, and was absorbed back into its body. Eventually, it faded as Agamae was in no condition to continue the duel. When everything seemed to settle, getting a slight nod from Divine, Tian, hesitantly walked next to Agamae's still form, and after checking her pulse, breathed a sigh of relief when he felt her faint pulse, indicating that she was still alive.

* * *

It was Tian's turn now, and to say that he was reluctant to make a move was a vastly gross understatement. After hearing what the Skeleton Knight had said, and after witnessing what happened to Agamae after she summoned her Duel Dragon, Tian was more than willing to give up. But… something ate at him… telling him to continue, and reminded him that if he hadn't been found by Divine that night, he'd probably be dead right now, and no one would have been the wiser. Swallowing the fear in his throat, his hand gripped the top card of his deck, and drew. Because whatever else happens, he would never go back to _that_.

Just like Agamae before him, the young man looked to the cards in his hand, and knew that he could summon his Duel Dragon with the cards he had in his hand. Remembering clearly of what happened to Agamae, Tian hesitated, but then that same feeling he felt from before came back again, and after shaking away his fear, made his turn.

First, Tian activated the Continuous Spell: Valhalla, Hall of the Fallen. Which when activated, allows its controller to Special Summon a Fairy-Type monster from his hand once per turn, if they control no monsters. So as his first order of business, he Special Summoned one of the old monsters in his deck; The Agent of Creation - Venus

The golden woman had a rather unique effect, allowing the controller to summon a Mystical Shine Ball from either hand or deck, at the cost of 500 Life Points. Said shine ball wasn't impressive in the slightest; just a level 2, normal monster with 500 attack and defense; however, there wasn't a limit to how many times he could use Venus's effect per turn, so theoretically, as long as Tian had life points to pay, and a number of shine balls in his deck, he could potentially use his monster's effect as many times as he wanted.

Which is exactly what he did. By paying 1500 Life Points out of his 8000, Tian was able to summon three Mystical Shine Balls from his deck. And since he had yet to Normal Summon yet, he still had the ability to summon his new tuner monster; **The Agent of Silence - Neptune***.

Flying from within a blue circle, a pale blue, winged young man levitated next to the winged golden woman. And without further ado, Tian tuned the level 1 Agent of Silence, with the level 3 Agent of Creation, and the three level 2 Mystical Shine Balls.

**The Agent of Silence - Neptune: LIGHT Attribute, Level 1, Fairy/Tuner/Effect: When this card is used for the Synchro Summon of a LIGHT Attribute Synchro Monster, and at least one of the other materials is an "Agent" monster, you can add "Agent" monsters from your deck to your hand equal to the number of Synchro Materials used for the Synchro Summon of the LIGHT Attribute Synchro Monster that was Synchro Summoned using this card, except for "The Agent of Silence - Neptune". ATK/DEF: 0/0**

Just like with Agamae's unusual Synchro Summon, the normal green light wasn't present as Tian's monsters quickly transformed into silhouettes of themselves and their accumulated number of stars; instead, in Tian's case, the stars and silhouettes of his monsters were engulfed into a golden light as he chanted; _**"Heavenly fate! The natural order of all things! Ride the wheel of the spinning halos of heaven! Break free from your 5000 years of silence and descend with your holy light! Synchro Summon, Level 10! Ascension Sky Dragon!"**_

As the golden light's rays emitted more brightly than ever before, Divine was forced to shield his eyes as the light became too much for him to bare witness to. The Skeleton Knight, however, was unfazed, as the light continued to glow brighter transforming from a golden sun, to a pure white hot star, the room was bathed in its holy light, as the temple began to shake from the power emitting from the beast that lay within, until finally, the light faded away, and revealed a stark, pure white dragon resembling Slifer the Sky Dragon, with gold accents speckled throughout the dragon's heavenly appearance that dwarfed both of Divine's and the Skeleton Knight's own Duel Dragons, both equally large in their own right.

But just like what happened with Agamae before him, and Divine before her, Tian was left doubled over and writhing in pain and agony, the likes of which he had never experienced before. Unlike the others, probably due to their Dragon's Dark attributes, the shadow Miasma that Ascension was giving off was a white, hot, searing pain as if Tian was looking at the sun, and wasn't able to tear his sight away.

The dragon's Shadow Miasma burned across Tian's writhing form, as he cried out clutching his head in his hands, his fingers digging into his bald scalp, almost to the point of drawing blood. Also, unlike his fellow Crusaders, when the Shadow Miasma spread, instead of his eyes losing his pupils and irises, and the whites of his eyes becoming black, the opposite seemed to occur. His eyes nearly glowed an ethereal white, as the Sky Dragon's Shadow Miasma burned into his sight, his pupils and irises blacking out due to the extreme heat he could feel searing its way into his body.

Eventually, Tian seemed to be nearly passed out, barely hanging onto his consciousness by a thinning thread. Just like with Agamae, and Divine before him, his life flashed before his eyes. From his happiest memories, up until the tsunami that wrecked his life. His parents deaths, the loss of his friends, and his loved ones. The death of his girlfriend. His life living on the street. His short duelling career in an Underground Duelling ring cut short. One bad experience after another. The last remnants of his barely there consciousness was slipping away when he remembered Divine finding him in that alley, giving him a purpose to live on. The small smile that Agamae gave him when she noticed his admirable gawking. As he remembered the few but well rewarding happiest moments of his life, he remembered that he couldn't let this chance get away from him, and after searching deep within himself, with all the hope he could muster, released a final cry into the room as he slowly lost consciousness with a smile plastered on his face. _"It's done."_

* * *

A/N: And I guess that's it for now. Again, I apologize for the wait. But life, you know. Unfortunately, this will be the last time I update this story, at least for a while. Long story short, since I'm only missing the one class that I'm taking this semester, and it's all I need to Graduate from College, my semester is cut in half because I've already taken the other classes that my teacher/instructor is teaching this semester. Which means I only have about two weeks left, and that's nowhere near enough time for me to complete this story. But I don't want to leave the last thing I leave for you guys to be a villain chapter. So, I'm going to release a one shot not related to this story that will have all the fluffy goodness. I'm not abandoning this story, but until I can find a place that has a good internet connection, it will be a while before i can update again. So, until then, see you next time!

Recent Update: Unfortunately, I had just learned a few hours ago that my semester will end THIS week, not in a couple like I had previously thought. So, on the one hand, though I graduate earlier than expected, on the other, however, this means that this chapter will be the last thing I publish until I can find a place with at least a decent internet connection. I do apologise for not being able to finish this story, along with the one shot I intended to be my last update, but on the other side of things, it also means that when I do get a place with Wi-Fi, I'll be able to include that one shot with this story as part of the epilogue. So, until next time!


	13. A Different Kind of Duel Part 1

**Yu-Gi-Oh! 5Ds: War of the Dragons**

**Chapter 13: A Different Kind of Duel Part 1**

* * *

A/N: Hello there. Yes, it is I. I have come back from the dead to deliver this important message: I'm back, mothertruckers. Didn't think I'd be back so soon did ya? Me neither. FYI, job hunting sucks. Anyway, this chapter would have been the one I would have posted before, if I had more time. There will be a part 2, but it won't until later in the story, and it will also have a very different subject matter, but forget about that for now. On with the story!

* * *

_Unknown Location_

After the gruelling, but necessary final "initiation" rites of the Ritual Duel, the unconscious forms of both Tian and Agamae were taken to their respective rooms to rest. Divine knew from first hand experience what it felt like to have the shadow miasma invade one's body; it felt like he was dying all over again. An agonizingly slow death. Once the two younger "disciples" were left to their resting places, Divine met with the Skeleton Knight in the central chamber room.

Divine waited for a moment to see if his undead master was going to acknowledge his presence in the room, but after a moment's notice, it became clear that either the Skeleton Knight was deep in thought and hadn't noticed, or the more believable scenario, he knew, and he simply didn't care. Holding his tongue from making a comment that would surely cost him, Divine instead opted to inform him of Tian and Agamae's condition.

"The kid and the woman are resting in their rooms. They appear to be exhausted - which is understandable - but otherwise there appears to be no physical harm present. However, I'm unsure of their mental capacities. Didn't you say that the 'transference' would be different for each of us? Speaking of, including your Duel Dragon, we now have all four original dragons in each of their respective bearer's hands. What are we going to do to find the others? I would suggest splitting us up, once those two are awake. The three of us could each look for two promising duelists, and bring them here."

Taking a moment to catch his breath, Divine wondered if the Skeleton Knight had even heard of his suggestion. Based on his continued silent stance, it appeared as if Divine had spoken to a wall. Gritting his teeth, Divine's already waning patience was growing further thin, that is until he heard the Skeleton Knight speak up.

"_**Yes… I believe I did mention that the transference of the chosen Duel Dragon's Shadow Miasma and its corresponding partner's would be different for each duelist… As to what I was doing before you had interrupted me, I was determining what their respective… 'transformations' for lack of a better term." **_

Raising a brow, completely ignoring the fact he had disrupted the Skeleton Knight's mental session, Divine repeated, confused, "Transformation?"

"_**Indeed. In your case, because your soul is inherently dark, much darker than the others, when the ritual was completed, and you had overcome your Duel Dragon's influence, you were affected far more greatly than either Tian, or Agamae. Why? Because the Shadow Miasma itself is also inherently dark. The darker the soul, the more effective the ritual becomes. In your case, your psychic powers, which are tied to your emotions - specifically, rage in particular - had grown exponentially more powerful. As for the other two… as I mentioned before, think of the Shadow Miasma as a virus… it dominates, corrupts, and destroys everything that comes into contact with, but if your will is greater than that of the Duel Dragon inflicting said Miasma, you will be able to subdue their influence, and 'bond' with them in a sense; their power, becomes your power, and vice versa.**_

_**I can tell just by sifting through their memories that neither Tian, nor Agamae's souls are inherently dark, or rather not nearly as dark as your own. Once the shadow miasma has successfully bonded with its host, the Duel Dragon's dark influence is no longer present, but that doesn't mean that their mind wasn't affected during the initial transference. While I can't say to what extent their minds have been influenced by their respective Duel Dragons, I can say with absolute certainty that when the two of them do wake up, they'll both be a little… more… different from before.**_

_**Now, while they won't be like you, or I for instance, they'll certainly be more susceptible to my plans of destroying the former Signers, and their darker thoughts. Basically, their inhibitions, while not gone, will be subdued. How much, however, is entirely dependant on the individual. To your final inquiry, regarding the now six remaining Duel Dragons, and their potential bearers, I've been giving it some thought, and while initially, I was planning on doing exactly what you had suggested, I've now decided on a new approach. The prelims for the Fortune Cup's Tenth Anniversary will begin in just a week's time. It will be the perfect opportunity to scout for potential bearers, seeing as how the prelims will determine who will be in the actual tournament. So for now, we do nothing, but sit back and watch. And let fate take its course."**_

* * *

_New Domino City_

At the same time the villainous duo of Divine and his master, the Skeleton Knight were planning, scouting, watching and gathering their forces, the members of Team 5D's that had left New Domino to chase their dreams that lay elsewhere and beyond had spent the recent week feeling right at home, something that they all had sorely missed during their years away from the city. For Jack, Crow and in recent years Leo and Luna, it was a very welcome change of pace.

In Jack and Crow's case, the thrill and excitement of becoming duelling champions and participating in pro duels from across the world had slowly, but surely faded away in time. Don't get the duo wrong, if they could go back in time, and change their course, neither of them would have changed anything. However, the feeling and the novelty of travelling the world and duelling in different countries just sort of faded, and in its place, left a sense of longing to return home. But both of the brothers wouldn't give up, until they had achieved what they had set out to do; turning back even before they achieved their dreams were fruitless and pointless; not to mention a huge waste of time.

Leo and Luna didn't have it as bad as their older surrogate brothers, for they were just at the cusp of adulthood. However, Luna in particular lost that feeling of nostalgia rather quickly, compared to her twin. She didn't duel professionally of course, but she promised long ago to never separate from her brother and that they would always be at each other's sides, so of course she tagged along with Leo, moving from place to place whenever he was invited to take part in a tournament. Also, being his manager, she couldn't just leave him behind, and not sponsor him; no one would have taken him seriously. But the constant moving and travelling from place to place at the drop of hat was getting to Luna and quickly, she grew tired of the hectic lifestyle of which she found herself in, but despite her misgivings, she knew that this was what Leo wanted to do, and knew that she didn't want to do anything that would upset her brother.

Leo himself, for a couple of years was ecstatic. After leaving New Domino for London, Leo was amazed by the sights of the English city, and in no small detail was looking forward to seeing the sights of other countries when he would be old enough to get his duelling license. The world did not disappoint Leo. For a time, he was astounded of the world that he and his sister lived in, but he too grew weary of the constant moving and travelling, and although he didn't let his sister know it, Leo could tell that it was wearing his twin down far more than he. For all of his endless excitement and childish banter, Leo was a lot more observant than people gave him credit for, Luna most of all. For instance, he was the one that suggested that Yusei and Akiza were on a quote-unquote unofficial date at the skating rink, and felt as if he and his sister were the third and fourth wheels. Luna didn't believe him at first, but quickly came around, after watching Akiza stumble and practically fall and trip into Yusei's arms.

So it was of great relief to the other members of the Team that they had all been invited to the Fortune Cup's 10th Anniversary Tournament. As soon as each of them had stepped off their respective planes a feeling of calm, and a sense of coming home washed over them. Which of course left only one other person to her thoughts of coming back home and into the arms of the only man she has ever loved; speaking of which...

* * *

"Oof!"

"C'mon, is that all you got? Martha's old enough to be your grandmother, and she can move faster than that, and all she has is a kitchen ladle! If this is the best you can do without your powers, then I'd suggest you just stay home!"

Lying upside down on a rubber mat in Yusei's basement, sweating profusely, breathing heavily, and most importantly, glaring daggers so hard that they could pierce through the veil of death was one Akiza Izinski, growling at the jab her boyfriend, Yusei Fudo had just insulted her with. It wasn't helping that he had his arms crossed against his chest, with a shit-eating grin plastered on his face.

The two of them were currently sparring in Yusei's basement, not just simply to pass the time, but also help teach Akiza self defense, and not to rely too much on her powers. The two of them were dressed accordingly; Yusei in a black, sleeveless muscle shirt, which showed off his lean muscular arms, and hid very little of his toned musculature beneath the fabric. As well as a pair of black and grey gym pants, tied snug to his waist, hiding his strong legs, and… _other _parts beneath. Akiza herself wore a rose colored workout bra, which hugged tightly to her chest, leaving much of her midriff exposed, hiding her breasts behind the garment, while also wearing black yoga pants, that ended at the top of her ankles, hugging her figure snuggly, emphasizing her curves.

The past week for the duo has been nothing short of bliss. With Sayer still at large as well as the person that had aided his escape still unapprehended, Akiza was still technically under protection, and was advised to not leave the house. Which had left her with the man currently smirking at her as she lie on the rubber mat contemplating how to best maime the man she loves without outright killing him. The two didn't just spend all of their time in the bedroom, catching up on almost a decade of longing, love and lust between them.

* * *

They spoke of her time in Germany, talking about what she hadn't already shared with Yusei during their first date. How she loves working with kids and helping others heal, but also at the same time explain that there was a lot more paperwork than she initially thought that went along with being a pediatrician and a doctor. If you weren't working on a patient, you were filling out forms and files. As she explained, it was by far her least favorite aspect of the job. Even going so far as saying that it made all of the essays and papers she had to write during her time in college look like child's play.

Yusei sympathized with her, telling her that for the most part, there are mountains of paperwork, files and forms that have to be completed before his team can even broach the subject of whatever new thing that they were creating. He further explained that more often than not, he spends most of his time approving and/or disapproving of projects, since he is the head of the science and engineering department. Although he is present during the actual creation of said projects, he's more often than not in his office.

Besides talking, the two would sometimes just lie on the couch in the living room, enjoying the silence around them. Other times, they would cuddle up together and just watch TV. It was after watching an action movie that Akiza had suddenly asked, _"Yusei, in all the years that I've known you, I never once asked, how did you learn how to fight?"_

It was from that conversation that led to what the two were currently doing now. Akiza had learned that shockingly, it was Jack who taught Yusei how to fight and stand up for himself. Yusei explained that when they were kids there wasn't really a problem with the other children at Martha's; she did homeschool them after all.. It was when they were around the age that they met Kalin did the trouble begin.

At a certain age, all of the residents in Satellite were expected to take up work in the numerous factories that blotted the island. Recycling all of the trash that was transported from the New Domino Pipeline. If Security ever caught someone of age not working, the punishment was… severe. When Yusei stopped his story for the moment, he saw tears begin to swell in Akiza's eyes as she immediately understood the implications of what Yusei said. Even now, he could remember her voice breaking, when she pulled Yusei into a sidelong hug, and gripped his shoulders tight as she muttered under her breath, _"You… all of you… were slaves... "_

Yusei just let her hold him, as he brushed his hand through her rose red locks, and rubbed her back. He wasn't affected anymore, having long since moved on from that point in his life. When she seemed okay, Yusei continued with his story, but didn't remove the redhead from his lap. Anyway, while they were (forced) to work in factories, it wasn't uncommon for bullies and the like to gang up on the weaker workers, some of them even kids like Yusei, Jack, and Crow. Sometimes, they would beat them up for their lunch, whatever valuables they had, stealing their cards, forcing them to work their payload, or even just for the hell of it.

Yusei wasn't weak by any means, and whenever he would see someone who couldn't stand up for themselves get bullied, he stood up for them; unfortunately, that put him in their crosshairs. And it was always up to Jack and even sometimes Crow to help him out. Eventually, Yusei didn't want to have to rely on his brothers all the time to come and "save" him. And so, after telling Jack and Crow, the brothers resolved to train together, until such a time when Yusei could train on his own, and the rest, as they say was history.

When Yusei prompted to ask why Akiza wanted to know, she turned her head up, and straddled his lap before explaining, _"You know pretty much everything about me from when I was a little girl all the way until now. I wanted to get to know you more; know more about your past, but also because I want you to teach me on how to best defend myself. I can't spend all my time relying on my powers. Because there may come a time, where I can't use them, or you're not around to help me, and I don't want that on either of our conscience."_

As the week progressed, Yusei first taught Akiza everything about balance and posture. You can't just start wildly swinging and hope to hit your target; that's a good way to get yourself hurt, or worse. The training moved on to building up Akiza's strength, speed and stamina. And while she wasn't weak by any standards, if she hoped to put up a fight against an attacker, she'd have to hit harder than a feather. Which earned Yusei a smack upside his head. In a word, it was grueling for her. Knowing that it would take a lot longer than just a week for her to build up her strength, the two decided that they would regularly workout together.

* * *

And that is how, Akiza finds herself in her current predicament; lying on her back, with Yusei's shit eating, smug ass grin plastered on his face. The words he used weren't so much as to hurt her pride as they were to rile her up, and not in the good, sexy kind of way either. Growling and huffing to herself, in a show of strength and flexibility that could only be achieved through years of either gymnastics, or yoga, Akiza bent her arms backwards, her palms lying face down on the mat before hiking up her legs, and bouncing up off the mat, using her momentum to land back on her feet taking up a fighting stance, with her right foot forward, left foot behind her, shoulders squared, and her fists brought up to her chest, shoulder length apart.

Glaring at her boyfriend, she watched as his smugness turned serious, adopting a similar stance to her own. Gesturing with his forefinger and middle finger, he wordlessly told her to come at him. Growling with all pretense and purpose to beat Yusei to a pulp for his wise ass remark, she went on the attack. Throwing a straight punch with her right arm, aiming for his nose, Yusei blocked it, maneuvering his right arm in a circular motion, with his palm facing her, his forearm smacked into her arm, pushing it to the side, then before she could counter, with his open palm, Yusei grabbed her wrist, pulled it over his head and trapping it behind her back, then kicking her legs from underneath her, sending her with her chest pressed against the mat and his hand wrapped securely around her wrist, bent behind her back, and with him adding further pressure, by planting his weight on top of her.

Akiza thrashed around helplessly, trying to find some sort of leverage to push Yusei off of her, but unfortunately, the more she struggled, the more Yusei pressed down on her, further increasing the pressure he's placed on her arm, and his weight on her back. Realizing she's trapped and can't win, she sighed in defeat before tapping the mat with her free hand. Immediately, Yusei pulls himself off of her, and is there to help her up when she's obviously tired and her muscles are exhausted and sore.

"You did good, you're getting better. But don't let anger cloud your judgement. That was your downfall."

Huffing to herself, Akiza brushed a stray hair behind her ear, before leveling her hardened gaze at Yusei, and spoke with aggravation laced in her words that she didn't mean to take out on him, but nonetheless spoke, "Well, maybe if you didn't try to rile me up every chance you get, I would have performed better." As the words left her mouth, she instantly regretted what she had said, and feared that she may have earned the ire of Yusei's temper.

But instead, Yusei calmly replied, "I'm sorry, I might have pushed you too far. It's okay to be mad and aggravated. This takes a lot of time and energy to learn; it won't happen overnight. It'll be awhile before you can get the hang of it. I was only trying to see how far I could push you because that's how your opponent will get the better of you, I didn't mean to push you as far as I did."

Dropping her arms, and sighing, she walked the short distance to Yusei and wrapped her tired arms around his neck before responding, "No. I'm the one that's sorry, Yusei. I shouldn't have taken my frustrations out on you. I did ask for you to teach me; you were just trying to help in the way that you were taught; which by the way, no offense to Jack, but the fact that he actually taught something… well, let's just say I never would have expected him to have it in his heart."

Both of them laughed, Yusei actually shedding a tear before he recomposed himself, and said, "We both could be talking about this for hours, shifting the blame between us, so how about we just agree that it's both of our faults, and get out of these sweaty clothes? You look a bit sore, and I think have the perfect remedy that will help get rid of all that pent up tension."

Calming down herself, Akiza quirked a brow at her boyfriend before she replied, "Oh? And what do you have in mind?" A mischievous glint in her eye, before she purred seductively, "If you're thinking of taking advantage of my distress -" dropping her arms from her chest, she walked with a purpose, swaying her hips, and ignoring the burn and the pain in her muscles as she walked the short distance between herself and Yusei. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she was nose to nose with him, before whispering hotly in his ear, "- I wouldn't mind if we skipped the foreplay, and head straight for the bedroom."

Yusei's arms immediately held Akiza by her waist, and while noticing the obvious physical tension in her body, the sexual tension between them just ramped up to a 12. There were very few things in Yusei's current life that warranted him becoming nervous; his sexually attractive girlfriend just happened to be one such thing. Shifting his neck, and gulping down the lump in his throat, Yusei brushed aside her seductions and his obvious arousal - if Akiza's not-so-subtle grinding wasn't present - he replied, "Actually, I was thinking that you take a hot bath, while I get the room ready."

Biting her lip, she removed her hands from around Yusei's neck, and slowly and methodically dragged her hands down Yusei's lean body, making sure to feel up every inch of his lean, musculature, while she spoke with a pout evident in her voice, "Aw… and here I thought that we both would be sharing the bath. Oh well. What are you planning to do in our room?"

Closing his eyes, and taking a deep breath, he watched as Akiza's lips turned from a pout to a grin, and then a smirk. With her ministrations, she knew just how to break down Yusei's calm, cool and collective persona. Groaning when she began to palm his erection, Yusei answered before he lost all sense of control. "I was going to give you a massage."

Akiza stopped her ministrations, and moved her head just far enough back so that she could look Yusei in the eye. Immediately, she lost all of her sexual confidence, and a light dusting of a blush marked her cheeks, as she stuttered her reply, repeating what Yusei last said, "A-a m-massage?"

Grateful that he was able to stop Akiza's foreplay from escalating - there would be more time for that later - he hummed his response before continuing, "A hot shower, or a bath would always help me feel relaxed, but a massage would always help in removing any kinks or tension that was left over, that I may have missed. And before you ask, no. I never asked Sherry during our time together, and I didn't go to one of the parlours in the city. If I ever needed one, Martha would take care of it for me."

Akiza just blinked owlishly for a second, she absorbed the information just given to her. Although she and Sherry were friends, closer than they were before after having their "talk", she still felt some jealousy towards the french blonde. She always figured that she and Yusei would have gotten together once she returned from Germany, and that they would - hopefully - be each other's firsts. Obviously, life didn't plan out like she wanted, and realized that what she was hoping for was a fantasy. Despite what Yusei and her mother said, Akiza would always frown upon what she did while she was in Germany, and there would always be a part of her that would regret it.

So to hear that Sherry never got to give, and she assumed, receive a massage from Yusei, well, she couldn't help but to feel giddy, excited, and maybe just a bit smug. But to hear that Martha was the one to give Yusei a massage? She would have to ask how that came to have happened. _"Afterwards, of course."_ Finding her voice again, she replied in her normal tone, "Okay. Lead the way, handsome."

* * *

While Yusei was preparing the bedroom, Akiza had just slipped into the bathtub. Moaning in relief, she could feel the hot water melt away some of the tension and stress in her body that she acquired during her workout. As she lay there, soaking in the bath, her mind drifted towards the scientist as her hands lathered her body in soap, rubbing it into her skin as she recalled Yusei's strong hands holding her, touching her…

Subconsciously, her hands drifted to more _intimate_ areas of her body. Recalling from memory the way Yusei's touch ignited a spark that quickly grew into fireworks wherever he touched her. Rolling a nipple between a finger and her thumb in one hand, her other hand submerged beneath the now warm bath water, trailing towards her stomach; her mind conjuring up images of Yusei training her for the past week. Her back pressed up to his front, shifting her body into the proper stance. His hot breath, breathing down on her neck, whispering in her ear how to throw a punch.

Dipping further beneath the tub, Akiza let out a soft moan as her hand travelled further down, finally reaching what she sought out after the most. Groping her bosom with her other hand, she drew circles on her clit as she remembered slightly grinding up against Yusei's erection from earlier. She could feel the heat building in her core as the tension twisted and knotted in her stomach begging for release.

Picking up her pace, she drew in a breath, and whispered, "Oh… ohhhh… Y-Yusei… please… d-don't… s-stop…" Her fingers sliding up and down the wet skin of her slit, before plunging two of her fingers knuckle deep. Clamping her other hand on her mouth to keep herself from screaming, her legs sloshed around in the tub, as her core tightened even further. Pumping herself faster, her thoughts turned into fantasies, as she pictured Yusei stripping her out of her workout uniform, taking her, claiming her on the mat, getting rid of _another _kind of tension that was quickly building up.

Akiza's eyes watered, as she bit down on her tongue, with her other still clamped down on her mouth. Her other hand pumping, plunging, and vigorously moving in and around inside of her as she continuously chanted in her mind, _"YES! D-Don't…. S-Stop… OH! OH, G-GOD… Y-YUSEIII!"_ Rolling her head back as far as the tub would allow her, the tension in her core snapped as she found her release, shutting her eyes tight. Even with her tongue and cheek bit, and her free hand clamped down on her mouth, her moans of ecstasy could still be faintly heard as she continued to pump herself through her orgasm, before finally slowing down, and letting her body sag into the tub.

Taking a moment to catch her breath, Akiza softly exclaimed to no one but herself in the room, "I… really… needed… that… wow…" As she absentmindedly washed the rest of her body and her hair, it wasn't until she was nearly out of the tub did she come to realize just what she did, and in Yusei's bathroom no less. _"Oh, no. Oh my God…! I-I just… WHAT is wrong with me!? I just masturbated to myself in my boyfriend's - Yusei's bathtub!" _Groaning in her self mortification, she dropped her head beneath the water before finally coming up for air, resolving to tell Yusei why it took her so long, as well as her new fantasy.

"_So far Yusei and I have been taking things rather… slow… sort of. When we're together, he's so… passionate… loving… attentive… and it's absolute bliss and pleasure in its purest form. I've never felt anything like it before. But that fantasy…. Maybe it's time we explore ourselves a little bit more…" _Drying herself off, and cleaning up the spilt bath water on the floor, Akiza wrapped herself up in her towel, before leaving the bathroom, with a new goal in mind.

* * *

Waiting for her in the bedroom, Yusei had just finished preparing Akiza's massage when he heard her enter the room. Turning around, Yusei's gym pants tightened as his eyes absorbed the view in front of him. The towel that was wrapped around her hugged her curves, emphasizing her bust and her hips. Her rose red hair, still wet from her bath clinging to her shoulders and her neck, framing her gorgeous face.

Yusei had to bite down on his cheek and stop himself from groaning just at the sight of her. Then the smell of the soap and shampoo she used hit him like a freight train; lavender and cherry blossoms. Begrudgingly, Yusei berated himself, _"Get a grip, Fudo! You've seen her with and without the towel on before! She's used the same soap and shampoo since she's been here, what's the difference now? Is it just because I'm going to give her a massage?"_

Just as his mind travelled down that train of thought, images of himself and Akiza partaking in a little roleplay, between a masseur and his "patient" played in his mind. Akiza removing her towel, and lying before him face down, with her backside completely exposed to him. His hands travel the length of her body, caressing her with his strong, firm yet gentle hands. Hearing her purr beneath him…

As the mental images grew raunchier by the minute, one of Yusei's hands drifted towards his budding erection, palming it as he feels himself throb with need and release, but after feeling the contact, and remembering that Akiza was in the room, Yusei cursed himself and banished those thoughts from his mind. _"Nope! Not going down that road! Think unhappy thoughts!"_

Yusei rushed out of the room, swiftly apologizing to Akiza for the inconvenience, then careful not to shut the door too loud, exited the bedroom, and planned to take a very cold shower. Akiza watched his antics, and smiled, giggling to herself when she realized Yusei was acting strange, probably due to never having done something like this before. Taking the time to look at the room around her, there wasn't much of a change. Some candles here and there, and the bed's sheets were removed, but otherwise the room looked the same.

"_Maybe he doesn't have a massage table? Or maybe… he didn't use one, because we won't be needing it?" _Akiza blushed scarlet when her mind finished the thought. She knew Yusei wasn't the kind of person to take advantage of someone's trust like that. Even though he was definitely a male, with testosterone and hormones raging through his body, he had a lot more self control than most. But that knowledge didn't stop her brain from conjuring images of what she was previously masturbating to in Yusei's tub.

Her blush intensified to a near neon red, as she clenched her hands into fists, fisting the fabric of her towel as she tried to reign in her thoughts of debauchery and fantasy. Luckily for her, the door to the bedroom opened signifying that Yusei was finished. However, when she turned around to see him, her mind short circuited, and only three words could escape before her brain shut down from all cognitive processes, _"Oh, fuck me…"_

Standing in the doorway, was Yusei drying off his hair, by ruffling it with a towel. Akiza's gaze shifted from his head down to his neck and shoulders, realising very quickly that he was shirtless. Her gaze intensified when she noticed that his chest and torso wasn't completely dry. Her eyes followed the trail that the water droplets dripping from his hair fell to his brow, then travelled further down to his neck, then his chest and stomach, before settling and being absorbed into sweatpants. Akiza's tongue flicked across her lips and her teeth nibbled on her bottom lip as she imagined that it was her tongue that replaced the water droplet, licking it, and all the other droplets across his body. It never ceased to amaze her how _hot and sexy _Yusei could be when he wasn't even aware of what he was doing.

It also never ceased to amaze her, how quickly she could turn into a horny schoolgirl, ogling her crush just watching him. Shaking away her previous thoughts, she had the decency to hide her blush, and look away as Yusei finished drying himself off. Now that their feelings for each other were out in the open and were reciprocated, they constantly brought out the best and the worst of each other in the most delicious of ways. Akiza mentally berated herself for her behaviour as she continued to eye Yusei from the bed. _"Down, girl. Geez, I feel like I'm a teenager all over again…"_

Once Yusei was finished, he cracked his knuckles and stood before Akiza. Looking down at her still form as he watched a deep blush begin to form on her cheeks. From Akiza's point of view, she was forced to crane her head to look up at her boyfriend. Her breathing hitched as her gaze trailed slowly from the tent in Yusei's pants, to his shirtless upper body, and finally to those piercing, sapphire eyes. He looked at her like a ravenous wolf stares at an unsuspecting sheep, the latter unaware of the hunger that lay beneath those eyes. A hunger that would have the wolf feast upon its prey, and the sheep knowing it would be unable to fight off the predator.

Akiza almost let slip a moan, as a tingle of pleasure coursed through her veins. The images of Yusei taking her from behind, claiming her as his as he used her body for his own selfish pleasures came back with a vengeance. Shifting her legs closer together, she tried to stifle her own arousal. Her thoughts should have scared her, frightened her even, but she felt anything, but afraid at that moment as the two of them stared into each others eyes. There was love, compassion, lust, but there was no fear. She knew and trusted Yusei wholeheartedly; he was the only one she would trust with something like this; the current thoughts and images and fantasies that were playing in her mind's eye.

After a moment of which felt like an eternity, but was in reality just a number of seconds, or minutes, fighting with herself to contain her desires for something a little more _stimulating than a massage, _Akiza hesitantly asked, "So, uh, h-how do you want to do this? This is kind of embarrassing, but I've never done this sort of thing before…"

Yusei stared at her for a moment longer, before responding, "Well, I don't have any oils or anything of that sort, but never mind that. We can start on your back if you want? This is all about you, Akiza, so take your time on what you want. And if it makes you feel more comfortable, you don't need to remove your towel."

Blushing at his thoughtfulness, Akiza's attention was quickly brought to the last thing he said. Quirking a brow, she asked, "Why would I remove my towel? And why wouldn't I be comfortable? It's not like we haven't seen each other naked before."

She internally smirked as she watched her normally, stoic and calm boyfriend cough into his hand and sport a blush. Even after becoming closer to one another, these moments between them were still rather rare, and few and far between, so if there was ever an opportunity to see Yusei flustered, Akiza took it. Rubbing the back of his neck, and looking away from Akiza for the moment, trying and failing to get his complexion to return to normal, Yusei hesitantly replied, "Uh… well, you just said that this was your f-first time receiving a m-massage, so uh… I thought… I-I uh didn't want to make it seem l-like I was trying to take advantage of your trust…"

Internally cooing at Yusei's adorkableness, she reached for his hand, and gently squeezed it to get his attention. Smiling up at her love, she said in response, "I trust you and love you, Yusei. There's nothing that you could do that would make me uncomfortable, and I know that you would never betray that bond between us." Giggling, she continued, "I don't have a problem with being naked, but if it bothers you that much, then I'll wear the towel." Deciding to tease him further, she winked, and finished it off with, "For now, at least."

Ignoring her obvious innuendo at the end, Yusei released a sigh he didn't know he was holding, and his shoulders sagged a bit as if a weight had been lifted. Returning her smile with one of his own, Yusei replied, "Thanks, Akiza. I don't know what I would do without you backing me up. It's up to you whether or not you want to maintain some modesty, but as you said earlier, it's not like we haven't seen anything underneath." Clapping his hands together, followed up by cracking his knuckles, Yusei announced, "Now, let's get this started. If you want, you can remove the towel completely, or you can fold it to cover your… ahem… 'assets'... and then if you want me to start on your back, lie down on your stomach and then we can begin."

Complying with Yusei's request, Akiza put up her long, flowing red mane into a ponytail, then proceeded to lie on her stomach after removing her towel, only to fold it over just enough to cover the area where her thigh meets the curve of her buttocks. Lying her head on the mattress with her arms crossed beneath her, she smirked, as she wiggled her hips a little, enticing the already hard and horny scientist/mechanic/duelist and now masseur further.

Akiza stifled her laughter when she heard Yusei swore under his breath, and muttered something about her becoming his death in the future. As she settled and relaxed, Yusei smirked, thinking, _"Two can play at this game, you little minx."_ Akiza nearly jumped from her position when she felt Yusei's hands grip one of her feet, but almost immediately sighed and moaned when his "magic fingers" as she liked to call them, began rubbing and caressing her swore skin and the muscles that lie beneath. That is, until she froze, when his fingers lightly brushed the underside of her foot.

Inhaling a deep breath, she wasn't sure if it was an accident or not at first, that is until he did it again, and she had to bite down on her lip to keep herself from yelping and giving in to his teasing. She would never admit this to anyone, but she was _very _ticklish, especially with the soles of her feet, and she knew that Yusei was exploiting that weakness right at this very moment. Her fury at his teasing only increased when he hovered over her and whispered in her ear, "Not so talkative now, are we? Hm? Maybe you shouldn't tempt with the man that's supposed to be taking care of your body?"

Instead of verbally replying, Akiza glared at Yusei from over her shoulder as best she could with a look that screamed - _"Don't you dare!"_ \- but her facade faded rapidly when Yusei's hands - now working on both of her feet - rubbed and caressed a particularly sensitive spot, and she was forced to turn her head away bite down on her finger, less she give away her moan; all the while Yusei smirking as he brought Akiza closer to the edge of her sanity.

Chuckling at her behaviour, Yusei lamented her tickling torture, and said, "While this is fun, teasing and tickling you until you break, I think I'll start moving now." As he said this, Akiza could feel his strong, scarred, calloused hands move up from her feet, and slowly trail up her ankles and to her calves. Akiza sighed in relief, not just from the way his hands gripped her flesh with his firm and gentle fingers, but also from stopping his tickling tirade. Yusei could have a hidden mean streak that could make itself known should one not be careful.

However, all thoughts of his pranking were lost as she hummed and moaned a little more when he put a little bit more pressure, using the heel of his hands to dig into her calves, and moving his hands in a clockwise and counterclockwise motions, spreading his warmth while simultaneously removing the tension that was there from their training. Closing her eyes, Akiza relaxed further into the bed and huskily breathed, "Mmm, don't stop whatever you're doing back there with your magic hands. This feels incredible."

Smiling to himself, Yusei replied, "I don't plan on it anytime soon." Yusei's hands continued to drift further higher, now reaching up into her thighs. Pressing his hands further into the supple flesh with a little more pressure than he used on her calves, Akiza could feel Yusei's fingers push into her thighs, gripping the muscles that lie beneath the flesh; massaging, rubbing and caressing the tissue with firm strokes, this time including the palm of his hands running along their length.

She moaned a little louder than she intended too this time. His hands and fingers not only relieving the stress and tension in her legs, but replacing those feelings with another, different kind of tension that has been building up since her time in Yusei's tub. Looking back over her shoulder, she could see that Yusei was completely focused on his task at hand, a comfortable silence fell between them as she watched him work with her body.

An all too familiar heat was spreading throughout her body as she watched as best as she could from her spot as Yusei continued to repeat his motions from earlier. Another moan escaped from her when Yusei's hands continued their ministrations. But as she watched, she could see that Yusei was standing on the bedside where she lay, stretching his body and his arms to get to her other side. That is until she suggested, "Straddle me, Yusei."

Immediately, a deep shade of red took over Yusei's face, as he felt a familiar twitch and throb from down under as he heard Akiza's request. Looking up at her, he could see she too was blushing at the implications of what she was asking, but before Yusei could come up with a retort, or a question, Akiza provided her reasoning, "You're stretching your arms and twisting your body to try to reach my other side. You might pull something, and then we'll both be swore, pent up and stressed. Come on."

Patting her upper thigh with one hand, she gave Yusei a look that told him that she was dead set on her decision, and she wouldn't take no for an answer. Sighing, Yusei also recognized the heat and longing in that look, and knew that despite his honest intentions, she was getting aroused and excited. He couldn't blame her, for he too was already pent up from before, but now he was rigid and aroused himself. Quirking a brow, and smiling at her, he questioned, "And this isn't an attempt at trying to relieve some other kind of tension that's been building?"

Akiza's eyes drooped to a half-lidded state, as her gaze suddenly turned sultry and seductive as she eyed the growing tent in Yusei's trousers for a moment. Her tongue slowly licking her upper lip, before biting her bottom lip, and returning her gaze back to Yusei, only to wink in response and blow him a kiss before settling back down on her arms, watching him the entire time. Gulping at the seductive display, Yusei repeated in his head what he muttered earlier, _"Yup. She's definitely going to be the death of me one of these days."_

Settling himself carefully on Akiza's legs, he noticed that in his current position, the tent in his pants was conveniently wedged in between her thighs, and if he were bold or stupid enough to press forward just a hair more… His thoughts were interrupted when Akiza looked back up into his eyes and wiggled herself a little closer until the tip of his tent was brushed up against her slick, wet heat. Yusei jumped in response whereas Akiza moaned, never taking her eyes off of him, then added, "That's better now, isn't it?"

Before he could utter a reply, Akiza her head back forward and placed her hands behind her, untucking the towel around her, and letting it fall to her sides, revealing all of her backside and firm, round, plushy butt to Yusei's eyes. Looking back over her shoulder, she smirked at Yusei's stunned expression. He looked like a fish out of water. Lying back down, she then said, "You can start back up now."

Shaken out of his reviere, Yusei gulped, unsure of where he should start, or if he should just stop all together. Given that Akiza seemed to have gone through all of this trouble to get him into this position, he voted to continue rather than abruptly stop. Shaking off his nerves, Yusei leaned forward to start on her neck and shoulders, but stopped when he heard Akiza moan again; this time from the friction between his tented pants brushing up against her core.

Fighting down his arousal, Yusei pushed onward, trying and failing to ignore Akiza's moans and whines of pleasure as his hands went to work. While one hand was rubbing her collarbone on her left side, his right hand was rubbing circles along the path down her spine, occasionally pushing his thumb into her vertebrae and popping the little knots and joints along the way. On Akiza's side, she bit into her index finger trying to stifle all of the pleasantries and profanities that threatened to escape. She was wrong, Yusei's hands weren't just magic; they were divine instruments of pleasure.

She was taken away from her thoughts when Yusei's curiosity won out, and he asked, "Why go through all of this trouble, Akiza? If you wanted something more than just this, all you had to do was ask." She was about to reply, only to slap a hand over her mouth as Yusei now began to use both of his hands to simultaneously rub, massage and caress her back and waist; rubbing his thumbs up and down her spine in circles. Thus causing Yusei to lean a bit more further, and unknowingly push the tip of his tent inside her, which then caused a chain reaction with which her body writhed and shook for a moment before she stopped.

Yusei leaned away, realizing what just happened. "Oh! Sorry, I didn't-" He was abruptly cut off when after catching her breath, Akiza flipped her ponytail over her shoulder looking at Yusei with her best bedroom eyes, and replied, "Don't be sorry, Yusei. Please… continue, and I'll tell you." Stunned still for a moment, Yusei quickly shook himself from his shock, and continued his massage as he listened to Akiza retell the events of what happened when she was in his tub; recalling a fantasy she got off to when she pictured him taking control of her, claiming her, marking her as his.

Even now, just talking about it, Yusei could feel her growing arousal through his pants; a prominent wet spot appearing where the tip of his erection is located. If Yusei was honest with himself, he was getting even more pent up and aroused as he listened to her tale. When she was finished, Yusei sensed that she was beyond embarrassed having to admit that she got off in his tub, and probably a small sense of shame for she believed she betrayed his trust. Shaking his head, Yusei's hands drifted towards her ass, as he relieved Akiza of her false sense of shame and embarrassment.

"You don't have anything to be ashamed or embarrassed about, Akiza. It's completely natural for someone to have fantasies and fetishes, even if they can be a little dark. Everyone has their own 'dirty little fantasies' that they get off too, every now and then. And you don't need to worry yourself about getting off in my bathroom. As long as you're living here, what's mine is yours." Akiza blushed at how casual Yusei seemed talking about something so… intimate, but was overall relieved that he wasn't upset or angry with her for lack of a better word, defiling the sanctity of his bathtub.

She was just about to thank him, when she gasped as she felt one of Yusei's hands grip the fleshy mound of her behind, the fingers digging into the flesh harder than usual, and his thumb circling the ring of her back door, before easing it in. Leaning forward, purposefully, Yusei's tented erection brushed up against her slick core, and rubbed against her wet folds, as he drew his hot breath closer to her ear. Akiza tossed her head back on his shoulder and released something between a whine and a moan as she felt his double assault on her orifices take her pleasure to new heights.

When she looked into his gaze, her breath caught in her throat when she saw just how _hungry_ Yusei looked. His pupils had dilated and the grin he wore was practically wolfish. But what did her in was the way his voice carried over to her in her ear. Huskily, Yusei spoke, while keeping up with his multitasking, "Speaking of what's mine is yours, and what's yours is mine… If I'm yours, and yours is me… doesn't that mean your fantasies are mine too? Hm? Care to tell me? I'll stop if you don't."

Akiza didn't know what to make of this… She had never seen this side of Yusei before. In fact, she absolutely sure that no one had seen this side of him, and with that came a sudden vigorous sensation and realization; Sherry never got to see Yusei like this, and it was the first time he was showing this side of him to anyone, and he was showing it to her. Something ripped from her throat, sounding like a mix between a whine, moan and growl, but was soon replaced with a gasp when Yusei drew his hands back, and stilled his hips.

"_NO! D-Don't stop! Pleasepleaseplease…. Fuck me!"_ Akiza's thoughts raged to similar outcries when Yusei suddenly stopped. Too incoherent and frankly just too plain horny to give an adequate response, when she turned her gaze back to Yusei, she realized that she didn't answer his question, and by the smug, wolfish grin on his face, he wouldn't continue otherwise. Her mind a puddle of pleasure, she had to stop herself from chasing the friction of Yusei's clothed erection and rough hands on her skin, and force her pleasure blown mind to come up with a simple yes.

Unfortunately, when she opened her mouth, all that was released was a whine, and her body failing to listen to the commands her brain was sending, as her hips tried to grind against Yusei's stiff erection, but she quickly found herself unable to move, as Yusei's grip tightened around her hips, and his weight pressed against her back. Faintly, she heard Yusei's chuckling as he drew closer, his clothed cock pushing just an inch further just as his lips and teeth grazed her ear as he spoke, "Heh, look at you, just as soon as I stop moving, you're a blubbering mess. But that's okay… you're _**my**_ blubbering mess, and the response was just what I was looking for." Akiza's body shook as a mini-orgasm was wracked through her body. However, just as her body stopped its shaking, her legs started up again as she could feel Yusei drop his pants down just low enough to let his cock free, and then achingly slow, inserted himself inside her wet cunt.

A long drawn out moan forced its way from Akiza as she could feel every inch, every throbbing vein drag itself inside her sloppy, wet heat. Pulling himself away, Akiza's upper body was unceremoniously dropped onto the mattress with nothing holding her up. Moaning and groaning from the sudden sensation, she found herself lying face down, with her hips and ass raised high in the air. Pushing herself up on her elbows, she was suddenly pulled back up, when she felt one of Yusei's hands wrap her ponytail in his hand and fist more of her hair in said hand and pulled.

Yusei didn't pull unnecessarily hard or forceful, but just enough to pull off the act and the fantasy with which she had gotten off too that she suddenly realized that Yusei was turning into a reality. When she turned to look at Yusei, the look she gave him was all the necessary "words" that he needed to hear, _"Fuck me. Take me. Claim me. Break me." _ Planting a foot beside her hip, Yusei drew back as slowly as possible, until just the head of his thick cock remained inside, and with a sudden tug on her hair, Yusei slammed himself back inside.

His other hand pressed firmly on her waist, he let go, and then suddenly smacked her ass with said hand. "Hangh! Yes! YES!" Growling in her ear, Yusei let loose his dominant side as he fucked Akiza into submission. Jack hammering into her, Yusei never let up for a second as he let his thoughts and his hormones drive him into fulfilling one of Akiza's fantasies. Remembering what she had said earlier, he loomed over her as a particularly hard thrust pushed her face into the mattress, her arms giving out as Yusei continued to ravage her. "Ungh.. ugh! Fuck! YES! D-Don't stop! Please! _PLEASE!"_

Hearing her beg for him, plead to him to never stop, Yusei pushed onward, planting his other foot onto the bed, literally squatting over her, his free hand grabbed another fistful of her hair - the hair band having snapped a while ago, letting her rose red mane free - he pushed her down further, her moans turned into screams and wails of pleasure muffled by the mattress. "Did you mean it?" Thrust. "That you trust me and love me…" Thrust. "Enough to know that there is nothing that you would find uncomfortable…" Thrust. "As long as it was me?"

Akiza could scarcely hear what Yusei was saying. Her mind and body completely drowned in one of her rather more depraved and darker fantasies. Her nails gripped into the mattress nearly ripping into the material. Her toes curled, and her whole body shook as near constant orgasms were wracked through her body. Yusei wasn't making love to her like before; this was a hard, rough and raw fuck. She wouldn't be lasting much longer, and judging Yusei's erratic thrusts and lengthening and thickening cock, he was pretty close too.

When she was able to register what Yusei was asking, she slurred her words together, but the message was clear; "Yesh… ungh! Fuck, YES! You… mmph! You're m-my, oh fuck! One and only! Y-You're i-it, ungh… for m-me, Y-YUSEI!" Unable to hold off on his own climax any longer, Yusei pulled and thrusted as hard as he could before, emptying and unloading his seed inside Akiza's womb. They stayed connected like that - Yusei looming over Akiza, his hands in her hair, and head on her shoulder, their hips locked together - until Yusei could no longer feel himself cum anymore.

Letting go of Akiza, Yusei removed his hands from her hair slowly, as to not cause her any discomfort, and then removed himself from inside her, which caused her to whine in protest. Huffing a breath, Yusei dropped to her side, and kicked off his pants, while Akiza stretched herself out, and rolled onto Yusei's chest; their arms wrapped securely around the other.

Suddenly, Akiza giggled uncontrollably, which then turned into full on laughter, before she finally calmed. Puzzled and a little worried he had fucked her silly - literally - Yusei quirked a brow, questioning her behaviour, too tired and thirsty to form words. Catching her breath, Akiza snuggled closer to Yusei before whispering in his ear, "We should 'duel' like this more often".

For a moment, Yusei just stared at her as if she grew a second head, before chuckling and then laughing loudly at her poor pun, drawing her closer into his embrace.

* * *

A/N: Okay… so… when I said I was back… it was to only upload this chapter. It's the only one I have finished so far, and I'm only able to upload it since I'm staying at a friend's place this weekend. I don't have any of the others finished simply because I'm lazy, and I have too much free time. So… yeah… this one is a little more risque… than my other lemons from my other fics. Yusei and Akiza aren't as vanilla as some of their friends think. LOL.

As for the second part, it won't be until further down the storyline, and it won't have any smutty, fluffy lemony scenes. This will also be the last lemony chapter until the last couple of chapters. The next chapter will be the start of the preliminary rounds of the Tournament. And I have no idea how I'm gonna start that… Until then, you guys know what to do.


	14. The Tournament Begins

**Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's: War of the Dragons**

**Chapter 14: The Tournament Begins**

* * *

A/N: It's been a while, huh? I do apologize for the long wait. This pandemic has been kicking my ass. Long story short, the pandemic with COVID-19, problems at home, and just a general lack of motivation has prevented me from writing, and there have been times where I thought about stopping/quitting and/or deleting this story because of it. But now that I'm back in school - again - and have access to the internet, I'll do what I can to the best of my abilities, finish this story.

* * *

"Welcome! Come one, come all! Duelists from across the world, and fans here and at home, welcome to the 10th Anniversary Fortune Cup Preliminaries!"

Standing on top of the stage in the center of the famous Kaiba Dome, the MC addressed the crowd and the hundreds of duelists below. The years have been kind to the announcer. With the exception of a few visible grey hairs and age lines, he appeared to be just the same as he was the last time most of the duelists standing below the stage had the pleasure of seeing him.

Amongst the duelists standing below, Jack Atlas, Crow Hogan, Leo, Kalin Kessler and Sherry LeBlanc were in attendance. All of them conveniently standing next to one another. "Huh. Guess the years haven't changed his enthusiasm; in fact, I think he's more eccentric and ecstatic than he was ten years ago. Why do you think that is guys?", Leo asked his seniors.

Jack didn't so much as budge, just grunted and crossed his arms against his chest. Unbeknownst to his friends, Jack knew something that the others didn't, and would soon find out for themselves. Kalin was quiet as usual, and Sherry seemed to have ignored Leo all-together, instead looking around the competition, sizing them up. Crow finally acknowledged his junior, "Who knows? But I'm betting it's got to be something exciting. I haven't seen this many duelists in one place since the WRGP."

"Guess we're about to find out, look". Kalin addressed the group, when the floor of the stage split itself apart, revealing Yusei standing beside his Duel Runner, with his old Turbo Duelling Suit in immaculate condition. Just as soon as the current King of Turbo Duels and King of Games was revealed, the crowd exploded into cheers for their champion, while many of the duelists within the crowd of competitors - Jack and friends included - gazed upon Yusei, with admiration, respect, and a longing to challenge him.

However, they were not the only ones in attendance staring up at the Champion of New Domino. Mixed within the crowd of duelists were two of the Skeleton Knight's Crusaders: Tian Sheng and Agamae Binya. And watching from high above the arena, the Skeleton Knight himself, and his other acolyte, Divine, formerly referred to as Sayer were there as well, but safely hidden away from all of the security. Divine, with barely withheld contempt for the so called "Savior of the City", growled low in his throat, angrily demanding, "Why the hell did you bring me here, if you won't allow me to compete?! This is bullshit! **I** should be down there with them! Not standing on the sidelines like some spectator!"

Chuckling at his disciple's rant, the Skeleton Knight raised his palm, and calmly set it against Divine's shoulder, then replied, _**"Patience, Divine. You know very well why. You can barely withhold your hatred for the man standing away at this distance. Do you really believe yourself to be capable of standing in his very presence without attacking him?"**_ Divine's silence spoke for itself; instead of verbally replying, the psychic duelist simply grunted, and returned his attention back to the field.

Meanwhile, both of the Skeleton Knight's remaining acolytes were thinking of the events that led them to this day...

* * *

_After recovering from their ritualistic duels, Tian and Agamae awoke to find themselves in their respective chambers._ _While they both seemed to be physically fine, the two up and coming acolytes did feel slightly… different… but neither of the two could put a finger as to what it was about them that feels… changed. As the two duelists exited their respective chambers, they shared a brief cautionary glance with the other, assessing whether or not if the other wasn't alright. After all, they both went through one hellish experience, and though they didn't say it, neither of the two wanted to relive that sort of experience again._

_Confirming that neither of the two acolytes had any lingering damage from the ritual, the two walked in silence to the main chamber room, where they caught the tail-end of one of Divine's "suggestions" to the Skeleton Knight. Leaning to Agamae's ear, Tian voiced in a whisper, "Did you catch any of what they said?" _

_Casting a sidelong glance to her only "friendly" companion in this barren fortress, she shook her head no, but then said in the same low tone, "Why don't we just ask?" Before Tian could even suggest otherwise, Agamae was nearly just about to whistle to the two seemingly unaware duelists in the center of the room, before the Skeleton Knight abruptly ended his conversation with Divine by acknowledging the two awakened Priest and Priestess of their respective Duel Dragons, __**"Ah, Agamae and Tian have awakened. Your recovery is most impressive, I suspected that it would've taken a day, or two at the least before you fully recovered your strength. Hmm… your bonds with your dragons have increased your power, now that you've both completed the ritual."**_

_While Divine was more than a little pissed off, and irritated beyond comprehension at being interrupted - AGAIN - Tian and Agamae shared a puzzling glance between them, not quite understanding what their leader was implying, but somehow - instinctively knowing - that what he was saying was the truth. And though they both knew that this understanding should have frightened them, they were both uncommonly calm, almost as if they just accepted this fact._

_Before either of the two could question this… bizarre phenomenon… the Skeleton Knight clapped his hands together, with a resounding *SMACK* that echoed throughout the chamber and seemed to continue on and on down the various halls of this remote hideout, suggesting that there is much left to be discovered within these walls. __**"Now that we're all here, it's time to let the two of you on our plans to find the remaining Priests and Priestesses of the Duel Dragons of Light and Darkness. Come, follow me and Divine, and I'll explain on the way." **_

_Knowing better than to question the Skeleton Knight's demand, the two quickly fell in line with the still irritable Divine, grumbling to himself like a child that doesn't feel as if they've gotten the attention and recognition that they believe they deserve, the undead warrior explained to Tian and Agamae that before they had awakened, Divine informed him of a plan to infiltrate the upcoming 10th Anniversary Fortune Cup Tournament, and at first, the he declined, saying that while it would be an opportune time to find the remaining Duel Priests and Priestesses, it would be better if they were to remain hidden and scout them from the shadows._

_But after further deliberation with his "right hand", the Skeleton Knight, after realising that Tian and Agamae were powerful than he previously believed, had reconsidered Divine's plan, as not only as a way to find the remaining duelists, but to also test Tian and Agamae's new powers up against duelists in the Tournament. Of course, Divine was miffed when he was told that he would unfortunately not be joining them in the Tournament, but to that end, the Skeleton Knight had finally led his three disciples into another large arena-like room within the hideout. But just like with most of the other rooms, it was left barren and desolate. _

"_Uh… at the risk of my own safety, what's so special about this room? I mean no offense, but this looks just like the other duel arena, but there's nothing here. At least that one still had stone stands where spectators could watch.", Tian hesitated to say._

_Chuckling a dark laugh that sent very unpleasant chills down the spines of his acolytes - Divine included - the resurrected knight moved his hand forward, jutting it straight in front of him, before slowly spreading his fingers outward, and then… nothing. The Skeleton Knight just stood there motionless, completely confusing his cohorts. When a few minutes passed, and Divine was starting to get antsy, the Skeleton Knight twisted his hand upward, his palm facing the dark ceiling. Suddenly the very ground beneath them shifted, and changed. The tiles moved outwards while it felt as if the ground was sinking. All but the Skeleton Knight were having trouble keeping their footing as the barren arena before them suddenly transformed into a duelling track. Not just any duelling track, but a Turbo Duelling track to boot._

_While Divine was somewhat accustomed to the Skeleton Knight's feats and prowess, Agamae and Tian were not. The two gazed around them, awestruck by what they had just witnessed. A certain level of admiration, respect and perhaps even fear were present in both of their eyes. The stunned silence of disbelief was soon broken by Tian loudly claiming, "Holy shit! This is - How - WHAT?!" _

_Agamae though still silent, couldn't help but silently agree with her fellow acolyte. Although the now converted stadium wasn't up to date with modern duelling tracks, it was still an impressive display; looking much like a stadium, or perhaps an arena would have looked like in ancient times. However, despite the impressive display of power, Agamae was still left confused. Why would they have need of a duelling track, when none of the present duelists - presumably the Skeleton Knight as well - didn't have duel runners. _

_If the Skeleton Knight could smirk, he would undoubtedly be doing so. As if he had heard Agamae's thoughts - and given his otherworldly powers, he could have been - raising his outstretched hand, the cursed knight then swung his arm down, and immediately following, silver-white, black-red and dark-gold lightning seemed to have suddenly appeared, and struck the field in front of the four duelists._

_Despite having been witness to some of the Skeleton Knight's feats, even Divine couldn't cover his shock and awe at what he was witnessing. His master wasn't just seemingly commanding the beautiful lightning storm, but he was also molding it. The three Crusaders of the Skeleton Knight stood in stunned silence and disbelief, as the lightning storm coalesced and began taking form - three, distinct shapes to be exact, solidifying and forming itself into three unique duel runners, one for each acolyte._

_Drawn to them, as the machine themselves seemed to be calling out to them, each acolyte approached their respective rides. First, was Tian. Although he wasn't new to Turbo Duelling, he wasn't very good at it. But as he laid his hands down upon his new ride, he suddenly felt as if an influx of years worth of training and practice was absorbed into his mind. Settling himself in his runner's seat, he let his hands and eyes wander as he took in the machine that sat parked beneath him. To put it simply, his ride looked like a combination of his duel dragon's physical appearance, fused with a duel runner._

_In fact, as he briefly took his eyes away from the magnificent vehicle, each of the Crusaders' new duel runners looked like a fusion of duel dragon and vehicular duelling machinery. Agamae was the next to take a step closer, and just like Tian before her, just as she laid a hand on her new ride, years, perhaps even decades worth of turbo duelling experience and knowledge was flooded into her mind, and just as quickly absorbed. Back when she was duelling in that underground duelling ring that Divine had found her in, they very seldom turbo dueled, if at all. Her captors believed that if given the chance, despite the dangers of their shock collars, the prisoners would try and escape the first chance they got. And because of that, despite being an arguably better duelist than Tian, when it came to Turbo Duelling, they were perhaps equals; that is at least, before now._

_Finally, Divine approached his runner, and just like before with the others, he could actually feel the knowledge being transferred and absorbed into his mind. However, unlike the two before him, he surprisingly already had previous knowledge and a rudimentary understanding of Turbo Duelling. When he was still the leader of Arcadia, he did employ a turbo duelling trainer and class at his headquarters, and before that, he had even dabbled into the art himself a few times. Unfortunately, by the time he had created Arcadia as an established "school" for psychic duelists, not many of his underlings took up the craft. _

_Before his thoughts could dwell any further - particularly when they were about to venture towards a certain redheaded psychic - Divine noticed that the Skeleton Knight only conjured three duel runners. Knowing that his master had no intention of revealing himself, not until everything was in their proper place, it was still odd that he wouldn't create his own. But just as he was about to broach the subject, a bone chilling, death-like wind blew across the field, catching the attention of the other duelists._

_Before any of the Skeleton Knight's acolytes could question what was happening, an ominous and very familiar looking fog began to settle all around them. The air around the makeshift arena dropped dramatically as the thickly ominous fog and death-chilling, cool wind began to spread out all around them. Turning their attention towards the cursed warrior, each of his acolytes witnesses their master tense his shoulders, and outstretch both of his arms towards the ground, with his fingers spread out as far as they could go. Opening his dark red eyes, the Skeleton Knight muttered to the silent air around him, __**"Come forth, and ride with me once more…"**_

_The acolytes watched with a morbid fascination and curiosity as the air, fog and wind surrounding them pooled together at the Skeleton Knight's behest and command, gathering and taking shape, as it transformed into a pitch-black mass, before settling into the ground below. For a moment, all was silent, the acolytes of the cursed warrior continued to watch, unblinking at the scene before them, before they all flinched back as an eruption of the pitch-black mass from before exploded and bubbled to the surface._

_The long nose and snout of the Undead Warrior's steed rose up from the black pool, as the rest of its form followed soon after. Stunned once again into a silent reverence at the sight before them, the company of Divine, Tian and Agamae gazed upon the immortal, undead steed of the Skeleton Knight. Its skin was as black as the dark-metal surface of its master's armor. Its mane is an even darker, almost black as night sheen draped across its neck. The piercing, pupiless dark red eyes stared back at them. The creature, like its master also seemed to be battle-ready, with eerily similar armor worn on its face, hooves and back. _

_As the Crusaders continued to stare at the creature, and it staring unblinkingly back at them, the Skeleton Knight broke the staring contest by mounting his beast once more, after not having done so after such a long, long time. To him, it felt like he was coming home. Taking a moment to enjoy the sight of his acolytes once stunned silent in shock and awe, the moment was broken abruptly, when he raised itself on its hind legs, releasing a battle cry, startling the others. Before they could utter a response, the Skeleton Knight voiced, __**"Now, shall we begin?"**_

* * *

Back in the present, Agamae and Tian were startled out of their shared memory as the MC was just about to explain the rules of engagement in this tournament. The two standing next to each other in their new turbo duelling attire. Tian's uniform looked very similar to that of the previous Turbo Duelling King, Jack Atlas. Mainly white, but with added silver-gray and gold accents lining the skin-tight bodysuit. Unlike the former King's suit however, Tian's did not have the dark grey spikes on the shoulders. Instead, from the shoulders and descending towards the back and front of the suit, were small, wing-like accessories, and on his chest was the face of his duel dragon.

As for Agamae, her skin-tight body suit, looked almost strikingly identical to Akiza Izinski's Turbo Duelling suit from the WRGP, however, the colors were primarily reversed, the black being the main body color, while the chest piece, shoulders, elbow guards and knee guards were a blood red. In addition, the suit also had added accessories like ruby-red gemstones mixed into the black material of her suit, resembling the same spheres present in her duel dragon's appearance. And for the final, finishing touch, much like the Super Sentai characters, both duelists helmets were made into the shape of their duel dragon's head and face; Tian's visor was a translucent gold, and Agamae's a tinted red.

As the two duelists stood next to one another, gazing upon the crowd of competitors, they could feel a thrum of power and energy coming from their respective decks. Taking a sidelong glance at the other, both duelists came to the same conclusion, _"They're here."_ Remembering their master's orders, the both of them would find and defeat all of the candidates of the remaining Duel Dragons. The rest would be left up to the Dragon's themselves.

"All right folks! Now before we let our esteemed champion have a few words, I'll get straight to the point of how this shindig tournament of ours works! First off, while there are hundreds of you participating in our preliminary round, only sixteen of you will be allowed into the finals! In order to weed out the competition, duelists will be given two locator cards; one for standard duels, and the other for Turbo duels! Now I know what most of you're thinking; "Isn't this how the great Battle City Tournament weeded out its contestants?"

"And to that point, yes, that's absolutely correct! But we've tweaked it to our specifications! Now, duelists wishing to compete in the final round must acquire and obtain a total of six cards, three for each type of duel! But be warned, just because you may have the six cards to enter, that doesn't automatically qualify you! You must reach the Kaiba Dome with all six cards intact and in your possession for qualification! The first sixteen duelists with all six cards in their possession will end the preliminary round, and begin the finals! But I must caution a final warning; as long as you have one card for each type of duel in your possession, and not all sixteen duelists have been accounted for, you will still be allowed to participate, but should any duelist lose all of their cards in their possession, you will lose your spot in the tournament!"

While the crowd went wild with excitement, many of the duelling competitors - including Yusei's friends participating and the two of the Skeleton Knight's acolytes - were contemplating what this would mean. _"It seems like Lazar didn't spend any expense in coming up with this grand tournament, and given what Yusei is about to say, it seems appropriate. A fine final performance, fitting for a king." _were Jack's thoughts as the MC handed the mic to his friend and eternal rival.

"And now, what you've all been waiting for, fan and duelist alike, a few words from our champion, Yusei Fudo!"

The crowd once more exploded into cheers, as the Legendary Turbo Duelist took the mic from his friend, and stood next to him on the stage. Letting the crowd settle their excitement for a moment, Yusei raised his palm, and almost immediately the entire stadium went quiet, eagerly anticipating the words that would be coming from their champion's mouth. On the far side of the stadium, standing on the roof far enough away to not be noticed by the increased number of security, but close enough to hear the commotion coming from below, even the Skeleton Knight and Divine - although unwilling to admit it - were somewhat impressed by Yusei's unspoken command. The amount of admiration and respect they had for the man was astonishing, almost worthy of their mutual respect. Almost.

Once the stadium quieted down, Yusei began to speak, "Thank you, you're too kind, all of you. Normally, I'm not one for such grandiose displays and momentous occasions such as this. Usually, I'd let our resident MC here do all the talking, and then the tournament would kick off, but today is a special occasion. Not just for the competitors and contestants, but myself as well. There isn't any real way for me to dumb this down, so I'll get right to the point, this tournament will not just be any normal tournament, but it will also be the tournament that will be crowning a new King of Games!"

Silence. The entire stadium was stunned into complete and utter disbelief and silence. Competitors and fans alike stared at their current champion in wide eyed, open mouth wonder. The only people that were seemingly unaffected by the announcement were Jack Atlas, standing in the crowd of contestants, and Yusei's girlfriend, sitting in the VIP box with friends and family of Yusei's. Even with the Skeleton Knight's vast incredible array of powers couldn't have foreseen this development. Divine himself was shocked still as well. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. _"A new King, is that satellite reject serious?!" _But the continued silence was evidence enough. The implication that this tournament would most likely be Yusei Fudo's last official duel wasn't lost on anyone.

Especially those of his friends that were competing and those that were sitting in the VIP box. Lazar, Trudge, Mina, even the MC were stunned. Giving away that Yusei hadn't informed anyone of him announcing his retirement, with a couple of exceptions, drove the point home for everyone. This wasn't some stunt for publicity, or a cruel prank. This was real, and it was happening now. Taking another long moment for the silence to wear thin, Yusei brought the mic back up to his lips and spoke once more, "My announcement wasn't planned, and that was intentional. I didn't want this to be leaked, nor did I want to cause panic. I know that many of you, friend, fan and competitor alike have been with me every step of the way on this long, incredible journey, but the truth of the matter is, is that there comes a point in one's life where they instinctively know that it's time to hang up the gloves, and today is that day for me. I didn't come to this decision lightly. I've thought about this for a long time, and this was the best decision I could have come up with. Either way, this isn't a time to be sad and moping. It isn't a time to mourn the loss of someone leaving the throne vacated. It's a time for celebration and excitement, to crown a new King! And I've just one last thing to say, It's time to duel!"

Raising the mic in his hand high above the sky, the crowd and competitors exploded as they cheered for their future retiring champion. Even those of his friends amongst the crowd, though still suspicious of why he hadn't said anything to them beforehand quickly erased those thoughts from their mind, and cheered on as well, perhaps even more so than the rest. Even Divine standing atop the roof with his master had to begrudgingly admit to himself, that witnessing such a historic event happening in front of his very eyes was pumping him up with adrenaline and excitement. As for the Skeleton Knight, he regarded Yusei with even more respect than he previously held for the man. Although he was the sworn eternal enemy of _him, _he could admire the man for his legacy and renowned skill.

Sitting in the VIP box with her friends, Akiza smiled as she watched her boyfriend from above finally announcing his retirement. Of those she was in attendance with, she was the only one who didn't express any amount of shock and surprise at Yusei's declaration. She knew that their friends would be understandably upset, and more than likely angry that they hadn't confided in them about the secret, but all of that could be worried about later. As she watched the proceedings unfold below, she was reminded of the last few days before the tournament began...

* * *

_Just a few days after their incredibly "physical" night together, Akiza was starting to get antsy. She loved being with Yusei, staying in with him for weeks on end alone was a dream come true, but the continued isolation was starting to wear on them both. Not to mention their fears. Not being able to contact her parents for fear that Divine may be listening in, or being able to socialize with her girlfriends and other friends she shared with Yusei was maddening. _

_Slumping down on Yusei's sofa, and sighing, she was rubbing her temples when she heard Yusei come in from the garage. "Akiza? Everything alright?" Huffing aloud, she said rather tersely, "No, no it's not Yusei. I can't stand this any longer! Urgh! It's just so frustrating, I feel like I'm going out of my mind!" _

_Realising quickly how she must have sounded, she was just about to apologise when she felt Yusei's strong arms hold her close from behind, and lie his head atop hers. That was also when she came to realise that during her ranting, she had stood up from off the couch. But before she could muster a response, she felt herself crumble and relax in her boyfriend's arms, slowly lowering themselves until she was cuddled up to him, Yusei holding her close, despite the grease stains, and the smell of motor oil on him. _

_In fact, it was a smell that was often associated with him, and ever since they became friends, long before she knew she was falling for him hard when they were still teenagers, it was a scent that always put her mind at ease, as long as he was there to comfort her. Running a hand through her hair, Yusei shared his own thoughts, "Believe me, I know. My mind is a jumbled mess. Usually I have to keep myself relatively busy to keep myself from feeling like I'm going insane; the curse of having an IQ of 250, I suppose. But that's not all that I'm worried about."_

_Hearing him speak of how high his IQ wasn't all that surprising. She knew that he was exceptionally intelligent, and it made sense for someone that had such an active mind would find themselves slowly going mad if they had nothing to do all day, but that's not what caught her immediate attention. Raising her head to regard him, she saw that his face was pensive, and his body tense, but trying to put it all off with a disarming smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. Realising he was trying to comfort her, she was eternally grateful to have someone like him as both a confidant and beloved. "You don't have to pretend for me, Yusei. I'll be fine. But what's eating up with you? I know it's not just me and my troubles that you're worried about." _

_Realisation dawned on her the moment the words left her mouth. "Wait, that's right… The Tournament is in just a couple of days… But that's not everything." Yusei's body quickly released all of its pent up tension as he settled himself in Akiza's embrace. "You're right, on both accounts. While I am nervous about the Tournament and my announcement, I'm more concerned about Sayer and the person, or thing that helped him escape. We haven't heard anything in almost a month, and the closer we come to the date of the Tournament, the more on edge I get. I don't know if it's just a gut feeling, but my instincts are telling me that something is going to go wrong there, and it'll have something to do with him."_

_Her grip on him tightened at the mention of her former… well she wasn't quite sure what the word for him would be. He was definitely at one point in time a friend, and more as their "relationship" grew, but he was never a lover. He was never someone she could imagine spending time with in his arms. In fact, the only person she felt comfortable with holding her like that was the man that she was currently cuddled up with. Shaking away those thoughts for now, she knew that what Yusei was saying had some truth to it. _

_After his escape, no one had heard a peep about him, or where his current whereabouts were. The former Arcadia building was demolished completely and then transformed into an institution that offered counselling for lost young children and teenagers. So he obviously couldn't have been hiding out there. Unfortunately, no one knew of any other hide away that the former Arcadia Leader had, not even she knew. But it didn't take away the gut sinking feeling that he was still somewhere in the city. And she knew that he was always a vengeful person, nor was he really patient when it came down to it. He could fake it for days, weeks, even months, but eventually he would blow up in a rage. She had only ever seen it a handful of times while she was there, but she had seen him for what he truly was when he had tricked her into becoming the Black Rose and tried to control her in her last duel with Misty, when the model had been a Dark Signer._

_It wasn't like him to bide his time when something didn't go his way, so it was most disturbing and troubling that there hadn't been any sight of him since his escape. She too had the same fears as Yusei, but instead of lingering on those thoughts, she raised a hand to the left side of Yusei's face, caressing the criminal mark there and catching his attention. Bringing their faces together, their lips a hair's breadth away, she told him, "It doesn't matter in the end, whatever happens, happens, but know that if he does try something, then we'll both get through it. Together."_

* * *

A/N: Finally got this chapter finished! I'm not sure how I'll structure the duels for the Tournament, I sure as hell know that I won't be writing all of them. That would take forever. But I'm thinking about focusing on Tian and Agamae first, and then Jack, Kalin, Leo, Crow and Sherry afterwards. I also need to know who I'll have in the final sixteen contestants. While it would be easier to just have those I mentioned above plus the six remaining duelists that will have the six remaining Duel Dragon cards, that would just be too convenient, and kinda lazy, so I'm still iffy about that.

I know that this probably wasn't the chapter some of you were expecting, but it's the one you got anyway. As normally, the updates will be sporadic and few and far between, lesser now that I'm back in school getting my degree, and having to take my core classes with COVID-19 still around. So, I don't know when I'll be done with this, but it most likely will not be finished by the end of this year. With all that said, R & R, and hopefully everyone stays safe!


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